The First Year
by InvisiMeg
Summary: Follows Rachel and Quinn through the holidays, during their first year together.
1. Trick or Treat?

**The other day I randomly decided to do a Halloween one shot and this is what came out of that. It mostly follows the events of the show with a few exceptions—meaning I'm totally ignoring the Brittana and Klaine breakups.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Glee characters.**

* * *

**Trick or Treat?**

As Rachel stared at her living room, she wondered for the tenth time that day how she ever let anyone talk her into this. She didn't know whether she should blame her fathers or Noah Puckerman, though, but really, it was little bit of both. Her fathers decided to go on a little vacation and begged her to come home; they didn't want children to come knocking and be disappointed when there was no candy and they also wanted her to be able to watch the house in case anyone with slightly more sinister intentions came by since their house was nearly always a target on Halloween.

Since most of her former Glee club members were on fall break during this time, a lot of them were home. She ran into Puck over the weekend; his mother had been harassing him for a while to come home and during their conversation, she made the mistake of telling him about her fathers' plans. As soon his face lit up, she knew she had said the wrong thing. Somehow during their brief chat, he convinced her that having a Halloween party would be a great idea. It wasn't that she was completely opposed to it—she hadn't seen a lot of her friends in quite a while, so seeing them would be wonderful—but Puck's ideas generally ended with people being drunk, naked, arrested, or all three.

She wanted to call him up and call it off, but people were going to start arriving soon, and the living room—as well as the rest of the house—was already decorated in every way imaginable. Their family had always been big on Halloween, so they had a lot of decoration stashed away in the basement. She wasn't happy about having to do all the decorating herself when the party wasn't even her idea, but at least Puck promised to come by the next day to take everything down.

The doorbell rang, pulling her out of her thoughts; she grabbed the bowl of candy off the end table and walked to the door. When she opened it, she found a little zombie and a ballerina standing on her doorstep.

"Trick or treat!" they said in unison, both holding out their bags, which were nearly empty this early in the night.

"You two look amazing," Rachel said, kneeling down to their height. "Now, if you promise to only take one piece of candy, I will let you choose what you would like."

She held out the bowl of candy for them and they rummaged around for a while before both decided on their preferred candy bars. The boy smiled and they both ran off to their mother, who promptly asked if they had thanked her. They both threw out a quick 'thanks' and ran off to the next house.

When she looked up, Puck was coming up the walkway with a smirk firmly planted on his face. Rachel raised her eyebrows, wondering what the look was about, but she figured it out the moment she was pulled into a giant, bear hug and spun around.

"Noah, put me down!" Rachel demanded.

Puck chuckled as he set her feet on the ground. "Gotta greet my fellow Jew."

"I believe a 'hello' is sufficient for most people," Rachel said, huffing.

Puck laughed louder and walked past Rachel into her house. Rachel followed behind him, eager to see what he thought about the house; one look at his face, though, and she knew he was impressed by her decorating skills.

"Damn," he said, looking around.

"I will take that as a compliment," Rachel said, smiling.

"Everyone that's coming should be here soon," Puck said, still looking around.

She had turned off half the lights in the house and covered the rest so they were emitting an eerie, red glow. Strands of purple lights were draped around the rooms, skeletons and other various creatures were placed about, fake blood was put on the walls, and she had set up the dining room with drinks and an array of snacks. She was also going to order a pizza, but figured she would wait until later in the evening when everyone was hungry.

"Where's your costume?" Rachel asked, realizing Puck looked like himself and wasn't carrying anything in his hands.

He pointed to a tag on his chest. "Right here."

Rachel got closer, reading the tag; on it, Puck had written 'To: Earth, From: God'. "What does that mean?"

"I'm God's gift to mankind!" Puck said proudly.

Rachel rolled her eyes. "Of course you are."

* * *

Within the hour, half of her old Glee friends were at her house. Mike and Mercedes were not in town, so neither of them were able to make it. Santana and Brittany were already supposed to be there, but they still hadn't come. Finn, much to Rachel's annoyance, was sitting on the couch, in the living room. Rachel had also found out from Puck that Quinn wasn't going to be there; she had been very disappointed since she missed the blonde more than she realized she would.

A few phone calls and some Facebook messages were the only contact she'd had with Quinn. They had made plans once for Quinn to come to New York to visit, but she cancelled at the last minute. Rachel didn't know if she was just being paranoid, but she almost got the feeling that the blonde was avoiding her for some reason.

"Rach!"

She looked up just in time to see Brittany hurrying over to her; she braced herself for impact just before the blonde reached for her, pulling her into a tight hug.

"Hello, Brittany," Rachel greeted. "How are you?"

"I'm great," Brittany said, pulling away, and smiling widely.

"Oh look, Santana came as herself," Puck said, smirking.

Rachel tried to hide her laugh when she looked at Santana and saw she was dressed as a devil. Brittany, who had an arm still wrapped around Rachel's waist, was in all white, dressed as an angel. It was the perfect costume for both of them and Rachel couldn't help but smile at it.

"What the hell are you supposed to be?" Santana asked, sauntering up to Puck, and inspecting his tag; a moment later she burst out laughing. "You wish." Santana turned to Rachel and smirked at her costume. "And who are you, Berry?"

"I am Fanny Brice," Rachel answered, putting her hands on her hips.

Santana shrugged. "No clue what that is."

"What do you mean?" Brittany asked. "She's the one from that movie you made me watch several times." Brittany turned to Rachel and smiled widely. "She really loves that movie and—Quinn!"

Rachel whipped her head around and was surprised to see the blonde standing just inside the door. Brittany was already at her friend, throwing her arms around Quinn's neck. Both blondes were smiling and Quinn was whispering something into the other girl's ear. As soon Brittany released Quinn, she made her way over to Rachel, Santana, and Puck, waving to the rest their friends in the living room.

"I don't know whose costume is more appropriate, yours or Finn's," Quinn said to Santana as she walked forward.

"What costume? The Frankenstein look is an everyday thing for him," Santana replied.

Quinn raised her eyebrow, clearly wanting to comment, but instead she turned to Puck, giving him a quick hug.

"I'm surprised you're here; Noah told me you decided to stay in New Haven for the break," Rachel said, watching the blonde.

Quinn smiled at Rachel and shrugged. "I decided to change my plans."

"I'm glad," Rachel said, smiling back before giving Quinn a hug. "Well, if you're hungry, there's food on the dining room table. We ordered pizza a little bit ago, so there's some of that remaining."

"Thanks," Quinn said, looking to her left and her right; she was being flanked by Santana and Brittany and she started laughing.

"Did I miss something?" Rachel asked, furrowing her brows.

"I just feel like they should be much smaller and sitting on my shoulders," Quinn said, smirking

Santana rolled her eyes and started walking toward the dining room. "Come on, Q, let's get some pizza."

* * *

When the trio went to get food, Rachel decided to give them some time to catch up. When she walked into the living room, she was promptly obtained by Kurt to be his Pictionary partner since Blaine was busy playing some video game with Puck. They had already won one game and were playing a second when Santana and Brittany came into the living room. Rachel immediately noticed Quinn wasn't with them and wondered where the blonde had gone.

"Hey, Brittany," Rachel said, standing up. "Will you take my place?"

"Sure!" Brittany replied.

Kurt huffed and narrowed his eyes at her, but she ignored it and said, "I'll be right back."

She looked in the dining room, but Quinn wasn't there, so she walked into the kitchen and immediately spotted her leaning against the counter, near the refrigerator.

"Are you okay, Quinn?" Rachel quietly asked, not wanting to frighten the blonde with her sudden presence.

Quinn glancing at her and nodded. "I knew you would come looking for me when I didn't go with Santana and Britt."

Rachel laughed. "Am I that predictable?"

"It's not a bad thing," Quinn said, smiling.

"So—what are you doing in here?" Rachel asked, walking toward the blonde.

"Just thinking," Quinn replied.

"May I enquire what you were thinking about?" Rachel asked, stopping across from Quinn, and leaning against the island.

"Nothing important," Quinn said, shrugging.

Rachel looked down, sighing; one thing she always hated was how she never knew what was going on in Quinn's mind. The other girl was always such a mystery to her, but maybe that was part of her fascination with her.

"Did Finn really shoot himself in the ass?" Quinn suddenly asked.

Rachel snorted as she laughed; she really shouldn't find it as funny as she did, but only Finn would manage to shoot himself during basic training.

"Actually, it was his leg, but yeah," she replied.

"Are you two back together?" Quinn asked. "I noticed him in the living room."

"No," Rachel firmly said. "We are over for good this time. I went on a few dates with this one guy that I met at NYADA, but it was nothing serious. What about you? Is there anyone special in your life?"

Quinn looked down, smiling softly. "I'm not dating anyone if that's what you're asking."

"I'm surprised," Rachel admitted. "I figured you would get to Yale and finally find someone that was a good match for you."

"Who says I haven't?" Quinn asked, raising her eyebrow.

Rachel frowned, slightly confused by the blonde's response. "I—"

"Q, get your ass in here and play this stupid game with me," Santana demanded, walking into the kitchen. "Britts won't stop being on Kurt's team and I know I can do better than those losers in there, so help me kick their asses."

Quinn sighed, rolling her eyes. "I'll be there in a second."

"Hurry," Santana called over her shoulder, walking away again.

"I guess I am being summoned," Quinn said, shaking her head.

"What did you mean earlier?" Rachel asked.

"We'll talk about it later, okay?" Quinn said, giving her a small smile. "It is part of the reason I came, after all."

"I—okay," Rachel said, frowning as she watched Quinn go.

* * *

Rachel spent the rest of the evening wondering when she and Quinn were going to get to talk again. It seemed like every time Quinn stopped being busy, someone—usually Santana or Brittany—would want her to do something else. Rachel was growing a bit impatient, but she knew it wasn't Quinn's fault; the other girl kept giving her apologetic looks every time she was drug off by one of their friends.

Finn had tried on several occasions to converse with her, but Kurt seemed to be running interference every time he remained near her for very long. It wasn't that she didn't like her ex, but she was getting a little tired of the looks he was giving her; he knew they were over and he had even been the one to do the breaking up, but by the looks he was throwing her way, you would think it was the other way around.

"Hey," Quinn said, quietly knocking on Rachel's bedroom door.

"Hello," Rachel said, sitting up straighter on her bed.

"What are you doing up here?" Quinn asked.

Rachel shrugged. "I suppose I just needed a moment to myself."

Quinn nodded. "Look, I'm sorry we didn't really get to talk tonight, but Brittany wants to go to that ice cream place that's open late and Santana really isn't giving me the choice to say no."

"It's fine," Rachel said, sighing. "It's not your fault."

"I know, but—I really wanted to talk," Quinn said, staring intently into Rachel's eyes.

"How long are you in town?" Rachel wondered, hoping she could see Quinn again before she left.

"I'm leaving in the morning," Quinn replied.

"You came all this way just to be here for one night?" Rachel asked, frowning.

Quinn shrugged. "There was something I really wanted to do while I was here."

"Maybe you can still find a way to," Rachel said, smiling at Quinn.

"Maybe," the blonde said, sounding distant. "I should go or Santana will start shouting."

"Have fun," Rachel said, smiling, trying to hide her disappointment.

* * *

Rachel was in her nightgown, ready to climb into bed when she heard the doorbell ring once again. She groaned and walked to her window, looking out to see if she could see who had rung it, but it was too dark to see anything. She knew it was most likely a prankster and if she answered it, she would probably have eggs or some other substance thrown at her, but it wasn't in her nature not to answer the door. For all she knew, she could be wrong and someone needed help, so, in her sleepwear, she left her room and walked down the stairs to see who was ringing.

When she was a few steps from the bottom, the doorbell rang again, so Rachel called out, "I'll be right there!"

She walked the remaining steps and carefully opened the door, ready to close it and use it as a shield if the need arose. As soon as she saw who was standing on her welcome mat, though, she threw the door open in surprise.

"Quinn!" Rachel said, staring wide-eyed at the blonde. "What are you doing here?"

"Trick or treat?" Quinn asked.

Rachel frowned. "Quinn, what are you—"

Before Rachel could get the rest of the question out, she got cut off, squeaking in surprise when Quinn's lips connected with hers. Her brain hadn't fully registered what was happening when Quinn was already pulling away and Rachel was staring into the other girl's hazel eyes.

"Was that a trick or a treat?" Rachel found herself asking once she regained her voice.

A small smirk slowly spread across the blonde's face. "I was sort hoping you would consider it the latter."

Rachel ducked her head, smiling shyly. "Is that what you wanted to talk about earlier?"

"Yeah," Quinn quietly replied.

Rachel nodded. "Something tells me we have a _lot_ to discuss."

"I have an early flight tomorrow morning, so I should go," Quinn said, talking a few steps back.

"Are you busy this weekend?" Rachel asked.

"No," Quinn said, shaking her head.

"I will be back in New York on Friday morning," Rachel said, giving Quinn a smile. "I thought maybe we could finally use those Metro passes you bought us."

Quinn nodded. "I'll see you Friday evening, then?"

"Maybe then we will get the chance to talk," Rachel replied.

Quinn laughed lightly. "Night, Rachel."

"Goodnight, Quinn," Rachel said, smiling widely.

Rachel watched Quinn until she could no longer see the taillights of the blonde's car. When she walked back inside, she shut the door, leaning against it. She really didn't know what just happened, but Quinn was by far her favorite trick or treater of the night.

* * *

**I hope you all enjoyed it; if you did, please take a few seconds to leave a review and let me know what you thought, so I'll be more inclined to do this type of thing again.**


	2. Thanks

**Okay, so I decided to continue what I started at Halloween since people seemed to like it. Instead of doing a bunch of one shots, though, I'm going to put them all together. I'll be posting each chapter on the day before or the day of each holiday, so some chapters may come faster than others…it just depends on when the holidays fall. **

* * *

**Chapter 2 – Thanks**

Showing up on Rachel's doorstep on Halloween night was probably the most nerve wracking thing Quinn had ever done in her life—though, this was a close second. She was not prepared to meet Rachel's dads, but that was what she was just about to do. She knew they had to know who she was, how horrible she was to their daughter for several years during high school. She tried to make it up to Rachel as much as she could their senior year, but it wasn't enough—it would never be enough.

When she kissed Rachel, she fully expected the brunette to slap her or at least do something as equally dramatic, but the other girl actually smiled. Quinn had thought about her plan for a while; she was going to tell Rachel how she felt and then pray she wasn't completely humiliated. Every time she tried to talk to Rachel, though, she was interrupted and never got the chance to confess her feelings, but she didn't want to leave Lima without telling Rachel, which is why she had found herself on the brunette's doorstep in the middle of the night. There were many ways she saw that night going—most of them ending in complete rejection—but it had actually gone better than she could ever have hoped for. Rachel actually wanted to see her again and even made the trip to New Haven that very weekend.

Things had been a little awkward when Rachel showed up at Yale; neither of them seemed to know how to act around one another and things were a bit tense for half the weekend. It wasn't until Saturday evening that they finally discussed things and became a little more at ease with each other. Before boarding the train back to the city, Rachel kissed her, and Quinn was pretty sure the smile remained on her face for the next two days. They agreed to take things slow, but that was okay with Quinn; she had been waiting on Rachel for years, so what a little bit more time going to hurt?

She looked down at herself once more; she'd changed dresses three times, hoping to find the perfect outfit for tonight, but she was currently having second thoughts about what she was wearing. She wanted to make the best impression on Rachel's dads that she could and that meant she wanted to look her best.

Quinn knew it wouldn't be logical to drive back home to change again, so with one last deep breath, she reached out and rapped lightly on the door. She could hear Rachel's voice through the door and a moment later, the door flew open. The brunette looked gorgeous in a strapless, black dress; Quinn's breath hitched and her heart was beating rapidly in her chest. The other girl had no idea, but she had always had that effect on Quinn.

"Hi," Quinn said shyly.

"Hello, Quinn," Rachel greeted, stepping to the side to allow Quinn entry into the house.

Quinn walked in and felt herself relax a little bit; she didn't know what it was, but the Berry house was very welcoming, a stark contrast from the house she grew up in. She had only been there a handful of times, but she felt completely at home here. The only other place she instantly felt like that was at Brittany's, but that was probably because the other blonde's parents had welcomed her with open arms-literally.

"You look amazing," Quinn said, looking Rachel up and down.

A blush appeared on the brunette's cheeks. "Thank you; you look beautiful as well."

"Honey, are you talking to someone?"

"Yes, Daddy," Rachel called out. "Quinn is here."

Her father appeared around the corner and looked at Quinn with an unreadable expression on his face; she felt like the man was scrutinizing her and became even more self-conscious than she already was. He didn't exactly look angry or averse to her being there, but he was lacking the warmth and friendliness that his daughter always had in her eyes.

"Quinn, this is my Daddy, Leroy," Rachel said, introducing the two. "Daddy, this is Quinn."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, sir," Quinn said, holding out her hand.

"Likewise," Leroy said, reaching to shake her hand.

"The house smells amazing," Quinn said, looking around a bit.

"My husband is an amazing cook," Leroy said, finally smiling. "Although, don't tell him I said that; Rachel and I complain about his cooking all time and he keeps trying to prove us wrong. I haven't had to cook a meal in a very long time."

Quinn looked at Rachel, who had a guilty smile adorning her face. "I am surprised by you, Rachel Berry!"

Rachel shrugged, laughing lightly. "You know me."

"Rachel, sweetie, will you please get the rolls out of the oven for me!"

"Excuse me," Rachel said, giving Quinn a smile, and walking toward the kitchen.

Quinn looked at Leroy and they smiled awkwardly at one another; she was normally very good at meeting her boyfriend's parents, but this was different. For one, Rachel wasn't exactly her girlfriend yet, and she hadn't been a complete bitch to any of the guys, so their parents didn't have a reason to dislike her before ever meeting her.

"Would you like to go into the living room?" Leroy asked.

Quinn nodded. "Yes, thank you."

Leroy led them to the living room and motioned for Quinn to take a seat on the couch. She smoothed her dress out as she sat down and looked around at all the pictures adorning the walls. Most of them were of Rachel and chronicled her at nearly every stage of her life from birth to a recent picture of her and Kurt in New York City.

"I must say, I was surprised when my daughter informed me she was inviting you over for Thanksgiving dinner," Leroy stated. "I mean, I know you two were no longer enemies last year and she was so beside herself with worry after your accident, but I wasn't aware you two were really friends."

"We're—" Quinn was trying to find the right words for their situation. In a way they were friends, but at the same time, friendship is never what she really had in mind with the brunette. When she finally stopped fighting with herself and realized her feelings, she started trying to make things right. If being friends with Rachel was the only possibility then she would have lived with that and tried to be the best friend to her that she could possibly be, but thankfully that wasn't the case. It was bad enough watching her with Finn and watching her nearly destroy her life by trying to marry the boy; she didn't know if she could take watching her fall in love with another guy.

"Quinn, Daddy, dinner is ready," Rachel announced, sticking her head into the living room, and then disappearing again.

"Remember to tell Hiram how terrible his cooking is," Leroy joked—or at least she thought he was joking.

She followed Leroy into the dining room and took the seat across from Rachel, while Hiram and Leroy were sitting at the ends of the table. The table was loaded down with every dish she could possibly think of and she wondered how three—now four—people could possibly eat this much food.

"Before we eat, we have a tradition of saying what we're thankful for," Hiram said, looking at Quinn. "Leroy, as always since he's so impatient, goes first."

Leroy narrowed his eyes at his husband for a moment and then turned his head to look at his daughter. "As I say every year, I am thankful for my wonderful family; Hiram and I couldn't have been luckier when it came to the daughter we were blessed with. I am also thankful for my amazing husband, who I couldn't imagine spending my life without.

Hiram smiled and stood up, walking around the table to give his husband a kiss. "I, too, am thankful for this family; for the most perfect daughter a father could ask for and for a loving husband. But most importantly—I am thankful that I do not have a son-in-law sitting at the table this Thanksgiving."

"Amen to that," Leroy said, lifting his glass, causing Rachel to blush.

"I am thankful for a lot of things," Rachel began. "Winning Nationals, getting into the school of my dreams, discovering who my true friends are." Rachel smiled at Quinn when she said this. "And I guess I'm thankful that I came to my senses and that my fathers do not have a son-in-law sitting at the table."

Everyone laughed for a moment before looking at Quinn; she cleared her throat and avoided everyone's gaze. "I'm thankful that I can walk—you never really think about something like that until you can no longer do it." She looked up and Rachel was smiling softly at her. "I am also thankful for being able to attend Yale, for having wonderful friends—and some not so wonderful friends." Quinn laughed, thinking of Santana. "I guess mostly, though, I'm thankful for second chances." She tried not to blush at the feeling of three sets of eyes on her. "That's all."

"Alright, everyone, dig it," Hiram said, clapping his hands together. "Oh, the non-vegan food is on Leroy's end and the vegan food is on this end."

Quinn nodded. "I have actually been eating vegan food, so the vegan stuff is fine with me."

She looked up and Rachel was looking at her curiously. "Since when?"

"A few months ago," Quinn said, shrugging.

"What made you decide to do that?" Rachel asked.

"I just—I don't know," Quinn lied.

She knew exactly why, but with Rachel's fathers staring at her, she couldn't exactly say that she did it for Rachel. She had initially been doing research in case Rachel ever came to visit her, but ended up discerning that vegan food wasn't so bad. Rachel was serious when it came to what she ate, something Finn never seemed to bother thinking about, but Quinn didn't want to be like that. If it was important to the brunette, then it was important to her as well.

"While I very much appreciate it, you know you don't have to adopt the vegan lifestyle just for me," Rachel said.

"I know that, but I—" Quinn looked around at Rachel's fathers and then looked down at her plate. "It's not important, okay?"

"May I speak to you in the living room," Rachel asked, scooting her chair back, and standing up.

Quinn opened her mouth, but instead of saying anything, she quickly closed it and followed Rachel into the living room. When they were both in the room, Rachel turned and stared at her; she didn't know why the brunette was looking at her the way she was or why she wanted to come in here in the first place.

"You became a vegan for me," Rachel said and it was more of a statement than a question.

"Sort of," Quinn admitted.

Rachel stared at her for another moment before launching herself into Quinn's arms. The blonde was taken by surprised and was nearly toppled over, but managed to steady them.

Rachel pulled back and put her hand on Quinn's check. "That's one of the sweetest things anyone has ever done for me."

Quinn couldn't help but laugh. "I'm sorry, but that's—"

"Pathetic, I know," Rachel said, sighing.

"It's not pathetic," Quinn said, moving her hands down to Rachel's waist. "It just shows that no one has been good enough for you. I'm not saying I am, either, but—"

Quinn was cut off by Rachel's lips on hers; instead of being offended by the interruption, she pulled Rachel closer. The kiss was languid and completely unlike their first two. When she kissed Rachel the first time, it only lasted a few seconds before she pulled away, too afraid to go on any longer. Their second was over equally as fast because Rachel was about to miss her train. This was the first kiss where they took their time, simply getting acquainted with each other. When Rachel's tongue slip past her lips, she had to suppress a moan; she had daydreamed many times what it would be like to kiss Rachel Berry, but the actual thing far exceeded her imagination.

"Honey, our daughter is making out with a girl."

Rachel and Quinn pulled apart like they had been burned; Quinn ran into the end table, nearly losing her balance and falling over, but she managed to grab onto it and not fall on her face. When she looked over, Rachel's face was completely red, and she imagined hers looked quite similar.

Rachel straightened out her dress and cleared her throat. "Hi, Daddy."

"If you two are done, we would like to eat dinner," Leroy said, raising his eyebrow at her.

"Of course," Rachel said, ducking her head, and walking back into the dining room.

Leroy looked at Quinn and the blonde gave him a nervous smile; she ducked her head as well and started to follow Rachel, when Leroy's words stopped her in her tracks.

"We'll be in there in a moment," Leroy called out as he looked at Quinn. "Quinn."

"Yes, Mr. Berry?" Quinn asked, standing up straight.

"How long have you and my daughter been seeing each other?" Leroy asked.

"We're—not," Quinn slowly said. "Obviously we are headed in that direction, but we're trying not to rush anything and just seeing where things go."

"Uh huh," Leroy said, eyeing her.

"I like your daughter a lot," Quinn said before looking to make sure Rachel wasn't around to hear her. "Truthfully, I think I fell in love with her long before I even realized I had feelings for her. I know you probably hate me for the things I've done to her, but I will never stop trying to make it up to her. She is talented and beautiful and is far too kind for her own good, but I thank God every day that she is or I never would have stood a chance with her."

Leroy stared at her for a few moments before nodding. "Call me Leroy."

Quinn furrowed her brows as the man turned and walked away; she was prepared for the man to kick her out of his home or, at the very least, threaten her if she ever hurt Rachel again. When she finally made her way back into the dining room, Hiram was looking at her with an amused expression on his face.

"Are you alright?" Rachel asked the moment Quinn sat down. "Daddy says he was nice to you, but I don't know if I believe him."

Quinn smiled. "I'm fine."

"He didn't threaten you, did he?" Rachel whispered.

"You realize we can hear you, right?" Leroy mock whispered.

Quinn shook her head, laughing. "Everything is fine, Rach, I promise."

* * *

"Are you sure you can't stay longer?" Rachel asked, pouting.

Quinn smiled as she looked at the brunette. "I would if I could, but I have to get home; I don't think my mom will appreciate it if I miss dinner with the family."

Rachel sighed, still pouting. "Okay."

"Don't do that," Quinn said, shaking her head, and then quickly kissing Rachel.

Rachel wrapped her arms around Quinn's neck and leaned up, giving her another kiss. "Will I see you tomorrow?"

Quinn nodded. "When are you free?"

"Anytime," Rachel replied.

"In that case, how about I pick you up around seven," Quinn said, smiling down at the brunette. "I know Lima isn't exactly as exciting as New York, but I'm sure we can find something to do here. Maybe dinner and a movie?"

"Why, Quinn, that sounds like a date," Rachel said, smiling back at her.

"That's because it is," Quinn replied. "Well, I'm going to consider this the date before our first date."

Rachel frowned. "Wouldn't that make it our first date?"

"Technically, but I want to something more special than dinner and a movie," Quinn said, shrugging.

She had been thinking about their first date for weeks—well, really for a year, but more so since Halloween. She had way too many ideas, but she couldn't decide; she wanted it to be perfect because Rachel deserved the perfect date. Since she had also dated Finn, she knew his idea of a fancy restaurant was having dinner at Breadstix, and Rachel deserved so much more than that. She knew she was probably being unrealistic about it, but she could at least try to make it as perfect as she possibly could.

"So it's a pre-date date?" Rachel asked.

"Exactly," Quinn said, grinning.

"Well then, I will gladly go on a pre-date with you," Rachel said, smiling softly at Quinn.

Quinn allowed herself to be pulled down and smiled as Rachel's lips met hers; she may have only experienced this a handful of times, but she had the feeling that kissing Rachel was something she would never get tired of. Every time their lips met, Quinn simultaneously felt like her heart was going to stop and that it was going to beat out of her chest. It scared her and normally when she was scared, she ran, but she was done running. This year, she had learned that life was too short; she wasn't going to be unhappy just because she was afraid of what may or may not happen.

"Is that all you two ever do?" Leroy asked

Rachel and Quinn jumped apart and the blonde cursed Leroy's timing. Two of their four kisses had now been interrupted by the man and she was beginning to wonder if he had some sort of sixth sense about it, but then she realized it was a ridiculous thought and quickly pushed it out of her mind.

"We were just saying goodbye, Daddy," Rachel said, rolling her eyes at her father.

"That didn't look very much like 'goodbye' to me," Leroy mumbled.

Rachel stomped her foot and huffed. "Daddy!"

"Fine, fine," Leroy said, holding up his hands; when Rachel turned toward Quinn, he looked at the blonde and gave her a sly smile.

Maybe Rachel's dads didn't hate her like she thought they would; they had been civil throughout dinner, asking her about Yale and what she thought she might do after she graduated. Holiday dinners at the Berry house were a lot livelier than the Fabray house; even when her entire family was there, everyone was relatively quiet, only speaking when they needed to ask someone to pass something or to thank them. The grownups sometimes discussed things, but if you were under thirty-five, you pretty much remained quiet.

"Thank you for having me for dinner, Mr. Berry," Quinn said.

"You're welcome, but I told you to call me Leroy," he said, giving her a smile before finally walking away, leaving them alone once again.

"So, tomorrow?" Rachel said, dropping the glare and smiling at her.

"Tomorrow," Quinn said, nodding.

"I look forward to our pre-date date," Rachel said, laughing lightly.

"Thanks for inviting me today," Quinn said, giving Rachel one last kiss.

Rachel smiled. "No need to thank me."

When Quinn walked out the door, she let out a content sigh; as with on Halloween, showing up on Rachel's doorstep went a lot better than she had anticipated.

* * *

**In case anyone is wondering, the next holiday will be Hanukkah, which is only a few weeks away, so you won't have to wait too long for the next chapter.**

**Thoughts? Comments? Please take a few seconds to leave a review.**


	3. Surprises

**Chapter 3 – Surprises**

Rachel was running around her loft, trying to make everything perfect. Kurt was watching her from the kitchen with is eyebrow quirked, so far not saying a word about her behavior, which she was thankful for. She had cleaned the whole place from top to bottom, but she was still worried stuff would be out of place. She didn't know why she was so concerned, but this was the first time Quinn was coming, and she wanted her apartment to make a good impression.

"Okay, I have to ask," Kurt said, speaking for the first time in an hour. "Who is coming over that you're so concerned about the state of our magnificent—and already clean—apartment?"

Rachel paused for a moment; she hadn't confided in Kurt about Quinn. It's not that she was afraid of telling him—she was just having a hard time believing that it was finally happening and she wanted to keep it to herself for a little while. That was all going to change as soon as Quinn walked through that door, though.

"Is it Finn?" Kurt asked. "Are you two reconciling? Is that why you're so high-strung right now?"

"It's not Finn," Rachel answered, and then continued straightening up Kurt's fashion magazines on the coffee table.

"Is it that Brody guy?" Kurt asked, showing his distaste.

"It's not Brody," Rachel replied.

"Is it a new guy?" Kurt asked, perking up.

"It's not a new guy," Rachel said, trying to keep an amused tone out of her voice.

There was a knock on the door and they both whipped their head toward the door; Kurt then looked at Rachel for a second and took off toward the door. Rachel tried to beat him to it, but Kurt was faster than her and reached the door first. He started sliding the door open, but stopped the moment he saw who was standing on the other side of it.

"Hello, Quinn," he said, straightening his shoulders, and glancing toward Rachel. "This is an unexpected surprise."

"Come in, Quinn," Rachel said, nudging Kurt in the ribs. "Kurt appears to have forgotten his manners."

It had only been two weeks since she had last seen the blonde, but it seemed like a lot longer than that to Rachel. They talked on the phone when they could, and would send each other random texts throughout the day, but they had both been incredibly busy, so their communications were usually short. Both of their final exams were scheduled for the next week; Quinn's were not until later in the week, though, and Rachel didn't have your typical exams. Quinn was here because they decided to take a two day break from school so they could see each other and de-stress a bit before finals.

Quinn looked at Kurt for a second before looking back at Rachel and smiling awkwardly. Rachel wondered if Quinn was thinking what she was thinking; Rachel wanted to kiss the blonde hello, but then she would have a lot to explain to Kurt right now, and she was hoping to have that conversation after Quinn left.

"Ooookay," Kurt grabbing Rachel by the arm. "If you'll excuse us for a moment, I need to speak to Rachel."

Rachel let Kurt lead her into his bed and then waited patiently as he stared at her looking for an explanation, but she wasn't going to give him one until he said something. She knew it was out of character—she usually went running to Kurt the second she had a new romantic interest in her life—but she hadn't done that this time. She just hoped Kurt understood and didn't get offend by thinking she was hiding something from him because that was not her intention. She simply didn't know how comfortable Quinn would be with others knowing and she didn't want to bring the conversation up at the moment because things were still very new. Also, she actually kind of enjoyed only her and Quinn knowing; it made it feel more special.

Plus, once people found out, they would be bombarded with questions, especially from their fellow former Glee members and she didn't think either of them were ready to answer those questions just yet.

"Well," Kurt finally said.

"Well what?" Rachel asked.

Kurt rolled his eyes. "Is there something you would like to tell me?"

Rachel shrugged. "What do you mean?"

"Don't play dumb with me, Rachel Berry!" Kurt said, putting his hands on his hips. "You have been running around all day, trying to make our already amazing place even more amazing all to impress someone, who turns out to be Quinn Fabray, so there is obviously something going on. Plus, you could cut the sexual tension in there with a knife. Not that that's really anything new, but this was even more obvious than in high school."

Rachel's jaw dropped. "Excuse me?"

"Please," Kurt said with a wave of his hand. "It was so obvious that you two were crushing on each other. You mostly seemed to get over it after sophomore year, but Quinn's a different matter. She used to stare at you during every one of your solos, and I think it was the only time during high school that she would let her guard down for a second. I guess you were always too busy staring at Finn to notice, though.

"I—" Rachel frowned.

She was aware that Quinn liked her for a little while, but the blonde had not said how far back it went. Rachel was under the impression it happened sometime in the last year, though, not all the way back to nearly the beginning of Glee. However, Kurt was correct in his thinking that Rachel had a crush on Quinn at that time. She had never told anyone and was slightly embarrassed about it considering how mean Quinn was to her at the time, but there was always something about the blonde that attracted Rachel to her. It's why she fought so hard to try to be her friend even though Quinn always rebuffed her attempts.

"So, are you going to stop holding out on me and tell me what is going on?" Kurt asked.

"Quinn and I are—" She really didn't know what to say; they were not exactly in a relationship, but they were obviously in the beginning stages of starting one. "We are undefined at the moment."

Kurt rolled his eyes at her. "Rachel!"

Rachel huffed, and ignored her best friend. "Quinn is waiting on us."

With that, she started walking back into the other room before Kurt could protest. She knew he wanted details, but he was too much of a gentleman to do it while they had a guest, so she was safe until he managed to get her alone again.

When she stepped into the living room, she saw that Quinn hadn't moved very far from where they had left her. She was looking around the room and Rachel was giving herself a mental pat on the back for tidying everything up right before she knocked on the door.

"Sorry about that," Rachel said as she walked to Quinn.

"It's okay." Quinn looked over her shoulder and smiled at Rachel. "Your place is amazing."

"Thank you," Rachel said, smiling back.

"I thought I was going to be murdered getting here, though," Quinn said, laughing lightly.

"Subway Bob?" Rachel asked

She received a confused look from Quinn. "Subway Bob?"

"The homeless man in the subway," Rachel explained. "He looks like a serial killer, but he's actually very nice."

Quinn looked skeptical. "I have to take your word on that."

"She speaks the truth," Kurt said as he walked by.

Rachel laughed. "I—" She paused at the sound of someone knocking on the door. "Are you expecting someone, Kurt?"

"No," Kurt replied. "Are you?"

"Would I have asked you if I was?" Rachel asked.

"Right," Kurt said, laughing at himself. "I guess I will get it, then."

As Rachel watched Kurt head for the door, she realized his back was turned. She quickly turned to Quinn, who was looking at her, and leaned in. She intended for it to be a quick kiss, but when she started to pull away, Quinn pulled her back, burying her hands in her hair. Rachel didn't object, though, and she rested her hands on the blonde's hips.

"Honey, our daughter is making out with that girl again."

Rachel and Quinn flew apart at the sound of the voice and Rachel screeched a very high pitched, "Daddy, what are you two doing here?!"

Leroy laughed deeply. "We wanted to surprise you. You didn't think we would miss the first day of Hanukkah, did you?"

"Why didn't you tell me you were coming?" Rachel asked as she walked over to hug her fathers.

"Because then it wouldn't be a surprise, sweetie," Hiram replied, giving his daughter a hug. "Are you not happy to see your fathers?"

"No!" Rachel exclaimed. "Of course not."

She looked back at Quinn, who had her hand covering her mouth, looking like she was trying not to laugh. When she followed the blonde's gaze, she finally saw Kurt, who had his brows furrowed and a look of shock on his face. Rachel guessed it was one thing for Kurt to suspect that something was going on between her and Quinn, but it was another thing for him to witness it with his own eyes.

"Good, because we felt terrible that we had to miss your showcase last weekend, so we're here now," Hiram said, heading toward the kitchen, and setting something down on the counter.

"It's too bad you missed it," Quinn said. "She was amazing."

Rachel furrowed her brows. "How do you know?"

"Well, for one, you're always amazing," Quinn replied. "But I saw your performance."

"How?" Rachel asked, confused as to how Quinn would have seen her.

Quinn smiled and looked down. "I was there. I didn't want to distract you, though, so I didn't tell you I was coming. I would have said something after, but I had that huge paper to work on, so I had to get back to school. As soon as Kurt finished his audition, I went back to the train station."

"At least someone got to see our girl perform, and I'm sure she was as amazing as always," Leroy said, smiling at Rachel. "Have you three eaten?"

"I don't see any pizza boxes around," Hiram said, coming back from the kitchen area.

"Kurt, can you give Daddy the menu to that place down the street?" Rachel asked, glancing at her roommate. "I'll be right back; I need to talk to Quinn for a moment."

Rachel grabbed Quinn's hand and led her toward the window; since they really didn't have separate rooms—only rooms separated by partitions and hung sheets—the fire escape was the best place for privacy. Quinn still had her coat on, and Rachel was sure to grab hers from the back of the couch as she passed by.

"You're not mad are you?" Quinn asked the moment the window was shut.

Rachel shook her head and smiled as she turned to face the blonde. "What on earth would I be mad about?"

"That I was here and didn't tell you," Quinn said, shrugging.

"I'm not mad about that," Rachel said, shaking her head. "Although I do wish you would have let me known, even if it was only for a few moments, but no, I'm not mad. I actually think it's sweet that you came to watch me perform when you obvious had other things you needed to do."

"Like I was going to miss it," Quinn said, playing with Rachel's fingers. "I hadn't heard you sing since May, which was far too long."

Rachel laughed lightly. "Well, I'm glad you were there even if I wasn't aware of it."

Quinn sighed. "Okay, I have to ask—how long are your fathers going to be here?"

"Probably all weekend," Rachel replied.

Quinn groaned. "I thought we could have our first date tomorrow, but I guess we will have to wait a little longer."

Rachel didn't say anything out loud, but she was just as disappointed as Quinn was. She was always happy to see her fathers, but this was one time she wished they hadn't come by unannounced. She kept telling herself that winter break would be here soon, though, and she would have more time with the blonde. Maybe then they would finally have their first official date.

"I know it's frustrating, but it will happen," Rachel promised. "This is just the price we pay for being students and living in different states."

"That doesn't mean I have to like it," Quinn said, scowling.

Rachel laughed and kissed Quinn on the cheek. "I never thought you would."

Rachel turned and opened the window, climbing back into the apartment. Kurt was standing a few feet away, obviously waiting on them to come back into the room.

"Go back outside, Rachel Berry," Kurt demanded, pointing toward the window she had just crawled through.

Rachel sighed and squeezed Quinn hand. "I'll be right back."

Rachel went back through the window and Kurt followed right behind her. She sat down on the bottommost step, knowing this was probably going to take a while since Kurt had that look in his eyes that he always got right before he was about to interrogate her.

"Listen, before you say anything, what I said earlier still stands," Rachel said, holding her hands up to stop her best friend from saying anything. "As of this moment, Quinn and I are undefined. You were right, though, about us having feelings for each other, but we're both so busy that it has been difficult finding the time to spend with one another. I'm sorry that I didn't tell you sooner, but I didn't want to say anything. You know Quinn had always been a private person and I didn't want to tell anyone until she was ready. Plus, Finn and I only broke up a while ago, and even though we are no longer together, I didn't want to hurt him." Kurt suddenly started laughing and Rachel frowned. "What?"

"Poor Finn," Kurt managed to get out between his peals of laughter. "Not only are you moving on from him rather quickly, but you're moving on with his ex-girlfriend—the only girl he has loved other than you."

Rachel frowned; she hadn't actually thought of it like _that_. She was only looking at it from the fact that she was moving on fairly quickly considering she and Finn had been engaged, but the way Kurt put it, it made it sound even worse.

"Please don't tell him," Rachel said, sighing. "He just lost Sectionals and I don't think he could handle any more negative news at the moment."

"Would I really do that?" Kurt asked, tilting his head. "I do have one question, though, before we go back in."

Rachel nodded. "What is your question?"

"When did this thing between you two start?" Kurt asked.

"Halloween," Rachel replied, smiling.

Kurt's brows furrowed and she could almost see the wheel turning in his head as he tried to think back to the party, probably wondering when and where it happened. She opened the window and climbed through, leaving him to ponder for a while. Quinn was leaning against the wall, waiting on her, and Rachel wondered if the blonde had heard her conversation with Kurt.

"Were you eavesdropping?" Rachel asked in a playful tone.

Quinn laughed lightly. "Maybe, but not on purpose; I just didn't want to be alone with your dads, so I was waiting on you."

"They're not that bad," Rachel said, slightly amused.

Quinn scoffed. "Every time they walk into a room, I'm kissing you; I doubt that is endearing me to them."

"The Hanukkah pizza will be here in thirty," Hiram called from the kitchen.

"Hanukkah pizza?" Quinn asked.

"Every year on the first day of Hanukkah, we order a pizza," Rachel said, shrugging. "It's not the most traditional of Jewish foods, but it's our tradition, and we have been doing it since I was five years old. After dinner, we light the first candle, and then we always watch Yentl because it wouldn't be a holiday without watching a musical."

"So, I guess I know what we're doing tonight," Quinn said, smiling.

* * *

Rachel tried to fall asleep, but she was all too aware of the fact that Quinn was sleeping only a foot from her. At least he thought the blonde was sleeping, but maybe she was lying awake just like she was. Kurt had been gracious enough to let her fathers sleep in his bed while he took the couch, but that left her sharing a bed with Quinn. At the time she didn't think it would be an issue, but now that they were here, she was wide awake.

"Are you ever going to go to sleep?" Quinn's voice caused her to jump and she nearly fell off the bed, but the blonde's hand shot out when she squealed in terror as she almost went over the edge.

Quinn started laughing and Rachel huffed. "There is nothing funny about what just happened."

"Unless you're me," Quinn replied.

Rachel playfully hit Quinn in the arm. "That is not very nice."

"Well, I have been called a bitch on several occasions," Quinn said and Rachel could feel her scooting closer.

"Then those people didn't know the real you," Rachel stated.

"Maybe not," Quinn replied.

The next thing Rachel knew, Quinn's arm was being wrapped around her waist, and the blonde was right next to her. Rachel wasn't going to object to the sudden closeness, though, because it was actually quite nice. Finn was never one for cuddling, but Rachel was very much a person that liked to be close to others, not only emotionally, but physically. It's why she always liked to hug people or show them affection. People often seemed to misconstrue it, though, so throughout junior high, she tried to tone it down. That was also when she developed the habit of asking people if she could hug them before she did so.

"When are you going back to Lima?" Quinn asked after a few minutes.

"Kurt and I are going the Sunday before Christmas," Rachel replied. "We're only going to be there for a few days, though; it's our first year living in New York City, so we're not about to miss watching the ball drop in Times Square. It's our turn to host Christmas for Daddy's family, so he insists I come home, even if it is only for a few days."

"Well, I was going to go back as soon as finals are over, but I was thinking that maybe I could come here first," Quinn said, shifting a bit. "I don't want to wait until after Christmas to go on a date with you."

Rachel smiled. "I don't want to wait until after Christmas to go on a date with you, either."

"Next Saturday?" Quinn asked.

Rachel nodded. "Next Saturday."

"I think we've done this all backwards," Quinn said, laughing.

"What do you mean?" Rachel asked.

"Well, we haven't even went on our first date, but we've kissed and now we're sleeping together," Quinn replied.

Rachel laughed. "When have you and I ever done things the typical way?"

"That's very true," Quinn replied, and Rachel could hear the smile in her voice.

"Kurt—he said something earlier that I was curious about," Rachel said, turning her head toward the blonde, even though it was too dark to actually see her.

"What?" Quinn asked.

"He said that you always stared at me during my Glee performances," Rachel stated.

"He noticed that, huh?" Quinn said, laughing lightly, and shaking her head. "He's right; no matter how much I tried to convince myself that I hated you, it all went out the window when you opened your mouth and sang. Santana noticed one day and mocked me for it until I did an impression of her face anytime Brittany danced."

Rachel laughed until she caught sight of the clock and groaned. "We really need to get to sleep."

"That's what I was trying to do, but you were tossing and turning so much," Quinn said, sounding amused.

"I'm sorry," Rachel said, sighing.

"Don't be." Quinn kissed her cheek. "Just stop moving so much."

"I'll try," Rachel said, tugging on the blonde's arm so she would get closer.

"Night, Rach," Quinn said, snuggling into her side.

"Goodnight, Quinn," Rachel said, smiling happily.

The weekend may not have been going as she had planned it, but she found that she couldn't really complain at the moment.

Then again, things with Quinn never did seem to go according to plan.

* * *

**Reviews are always very much appreciated, so take a few seconds to leave one and distract me from this stressful time known as finals week.**


	4. Merriment

**Thank you to everyone who has read and especially to those who have been reviewing; it means a lot.**

* * *

**Chapter 4 – Merriment**

Quinn smoothed the nonexistent wrinkles out of her dress once again; if she thought kissing Rachel or having dinner with her girlfriend's fathers was the most nerve wracking thing she would do this year, she was wrong. _This_ was by far worse than either of those things. When she looked into the kitchen, her mother was humming to herself as she made Christmas dinner and Quinn wanted to ask her how the hell she could be so calm when she was about to officially meet her granddaughter for the first time.

She still couldn't believe Shelby just called her out of the blue yesterday, asking if she would like her to bring Beth over that evening. After the stunt she pulled her senior year, she didn't think Shelby would ever trust her around her daughter again. They had kept in touch through email and Shelby had sent pictures, but she wasn't expecting this. Rachel and Puck were both on their way over as well; Puck because he jumped at the chance to see Beth and Rachel because she was coming over for dinner anyway. She had been a little apprehensive about coming over while Shelby was going to be there, but ultimately decided she still wanted to have dinner with Quinn and that she would also like to finally meet Beth.

When the bell rang, Quinn jumped slightly; she smoothed down her dress again and then walked to the door, taking a deep breath before opening it. Rachel was on the other side, smiling; Quinn tried to smile back, but she was so nervous that she was afraid it came out more of a grimace than a smile. Quinn stepped to the side and Rachel walked into the house, shutting the door behind her.

"Don't be nervous," Rachel said, taking a step forward, and wrapping her arms around Quinn.

"I'm trying," Quinn said with a small laugh as she hugged Rachel back.

"Is she here, Quinnie?" Judy asked, coming into the room.

"No, it's Rachel," Quinn replied.

"Hello, Rachel," Judy greeted, giving Rachel a light hug. "It's nice to officially meet you."

"It's nice to meet you too, Ms. Fabray," Rachel replied.

"Please, call me Judy," the older woman said, smiling at her. "If you'll excuse me, I have food on the stove."

Quinn's mother smiled and then walked back into the kitchen, leaving them alone again. Quinn looked to make sure her mother was out of sight and then turned to Rachel, reaching her hand out, and pulling the brunette toward her. Rachel smiled at her softly and Quinn pulled her in for a kiss. Rachel wrapped her arms around the back of Quinn's neck; the blonde knew they were being slightly careless considering her mother was just in the other room, but when Rachel was in her arms, she couldn't seem to care that much.

"Oh! I—I'm sorry."

Quinn and Rachel pulled apart and Quinn quickly turned to look at Puck, who now had his back to them.

"Hello, Noah," Rachel said, blushing.

Quinn cleared her throat. "Hey, Puck."

Puck turned back to them with wide eyes; he looked quite stunned and Quinn almost wanted to laugh, but then she reminded herself that he just caught her and Rachel kissing. She and Rachel weren't really ready for anyone to know yet and she was already preparing herself for having to have a talk with Puck later.

"I'm sorry," Puck said again. "The door was unlocked, so I came in, but then—I didn't really see anything."

"Knock, knock."

Everyone turned toward the open door where Shelby was standing with Beth in her arms. Rachel immediately reached for her hand and Quinn was grateful for the contact. It had been over a year since she had seen Beth in person, and the little girl had grown a lot in that time. Her hair was quite a bit longer and it looked like she had grown at least four inches.

"Hey, Beth," Puck said, walking over to the two. "Do you remember me?"

Beth hid her face in Shelby's neck, but Quinn could make out a very mumbled, "Hi."

"She's a little shy," Shelby said with a laugh. "Puck, why don't you take her into the living room?"

Puck was smiling at Beth, trying to get her attention; he gently took her from Shelby's arm and walked toward the living room. Quinn watched them go until Rachel nudged her and she looked at the brunette, who motioned for her to follow the two. Quinn smiled at her, squeezed her hand, and followed them into the living room.

* * *

Quinn smiled as she watched Puck and Beth together; he was strumming his guitar and she was laughing as she clapped along. She had been fairly quiet in the beginning, but now she was talking to them more and even singing along to a few songs. Quinn was happy to see her daughter liked music so much, but considering who her biological parents were and who her adoptive mother was, she wasn't all that surprised by it.

She had been so engrossed by Beth that it took her a while to realize Shelby and Rachel still hadn't come into the room. She couldn't help but wonder whether or not Rachel was okay; the brunette's relationship was with her biological mother was strained to say the least. She didn't know everything that'd happened between Rachel and Shelby, but knew most of the things and Rachel had been incredibly hurt by a lot of the things the older woman had done. Actually, it seemed like every time they came into contact with one another, Shelby did something to hurt her even more, which is why she was worried for her girlfriend right now.

"I'll be right back," Quinn said to Puck, figuring she should go so if things were alright.

When she walked into the kitchen, her mother, Rachel, and Shelby were all sitting around the island. Judy and Shelby were talking, but Rachel was surprisingly quiet. She walked over and put her hand on the girl's back; Rachel looked at her and smiled softly. Quinn couldn't exactly wrap her in her arms like she wanted considering her mother was right there and it might look a little strange, but she would try to comfort Rachel as best as she could.

"Rach, mom, would you two like to see Beth now?" Quinn asked, rubbing circles on Rachel's back.

"I would love that," Judy said, quickly standing up.

Quinn had to stifle a laugh; it probably took everything in her mother to give her and Puck time alone with the little girl. Rachel was a little less quick about it, but she stood as well, gave Quinn another smile, and followed Judy toward the living room. Quinn was left alone with Shelby and she knew now was the time to say something she should have said a long time ago.

"You look good," Shelby said. "I guess Yale suits you."

"Thanks." Quinn smiled and then looked down; she hated doing stuff like this. "Shelby—I want to apologize for last year. I know I should have said this sooner, but I'm sorry for the things I did and tried to do. At the time I was just—lost. I thought Beth would fix everything, but in trying to get her back, I just made an even bigger mess of my life and nearly ruined yours in the process."

"You really didn't have to apologize, Quinn," Shelby replied. "Though it's nice to hear, I know we've all made mistakes; I know I definitely have."

Quinn nodded, not really wanting to be reminded of the mistakes Shelby made.

"May I ask you what changed your mind at Sectionals?" Shelby asked. "You were so determined and I was waiting for it, but nothing ever happened."

Quinn smiled. "Your daughter."

"I wasn't aware you two were so close," Shelby commented.

"We weren't," Quinn replied. "But out of everyone at the time, she finally got through to me."

Shelby nodded. "You two seem close now, though."

Quinn smiled again, not really able to control her face when the topic of Rachel came up. "Things change—I've changed."

"I can tell," Shelby said, smiling. "Well, it's good to see you two getting along so well."

Quinn nodded; she wondered by the look in Shelby's eyes, though, if she knew more than she was saying. She knew Rachel wouldn't have told the woman—not yet anyway—but Shelby was looking at her as if she suspected there was something more going on than what Quinn was saying. The blonde just smiled, though, hoping Shelby wouldn't question her further.

"Why don't we go see how everyone else is doing?" Shelby suggested.

Quinn breathed a sigh of relief. "I imagine my mom is already spoiling her rotten."

"In two minutes?" Shelby asked, laughing.

Quinn nodded. "Don't underestimate her."

* * *

"Are you expecting more company?" Judy asked Quinn when the doorbell rang.

Quinn shook her head; everyone she was expecting was already in the room with her. She shrugged to Rachel as Judy walked to the front door and then continued to watch Beth play with Puck. She heard her mother greet whoever was at the door and her head shot up when she heard the greeting back.

"Is that Santana?" Rachel asked, frowning.

A few moments later, the brunette came into the room with Brittany bouncing a few feet behind her. "Sup, Q."

"What are you two doing here?" Quinn asked.

"You know." Santana shrugged, but didn't finish the rest of the sentence.

"No, I don't know," Quinn replied, confused as her two friends sat down on the floor, completely making themselves at home. "Seriously, what are you two doing here?"

Brittany beamed. "Santana wanted to see—"

"Nothing," Santana interrupted. "We were bored at Britt's and thought we'd stop by to see if you wanted to go to a movie or something."

"She looks just like you, Quinn!" Brittany said, picking Beth up, and putting her into her lap.

"Poor kid," Santana said, smirking, and receiving a frown from Brittany, but Beth smiled at her. "Shit, Puck, she had your smirk; I'm pretty sure that means she's going to be a little terror."

"Will you refrain from cursing in front of the child," Rachel scolded as Brittany's covered Beth's ears.

Santana rolled her eyes. "Whatever, Berry."

Judy looked a little scandalized by Santana's behavior and it almost made Quinn want to laugh. Her friend had always been on her best behavior when her parents were around, so this was the older woman's first time really seeing the girl's personality. Santana hadn't been over to her house much since she'd moved back in; she wasn't Judy's biggest fan after she let Russell kick Quinn out, which is one reason the blonde usually kept the other girl away when her mother was going to be home. Not that Brittany and Santana had been to her house that much even before; her father never really approved of the two and he didn't even know the half of it. If he'd known what went on with the two behind closed doors, Quinn would have been banned from speaking to either of them ever again.

Brittany and Beth seemed to be getting along very well, but Quinn figured it was because her blonde friend was still a kid at heart. They were already playing some game that Quinn didn't understand any of the rules to, but both blondes seemed to understand perfectly fine. Eventually, Puck joined in even though he didn't seem to know what was going on, either.

"Okay, you've had your turn," Santana said, holding out her arms. "Can I see the kid now?"

Puck looked a little apprehensive about handing his daughter over to her, but he eventually relented and put her into Santana's lap. Santana looked a little skeptical about the girl in her lap and Quinn had to stifle a laugh. Her friend was never known for being a kid person and it was clear that she had no idea what to do with the little girl now that she was holding her.

"I need something to drink," Brittany announced as she stood up. "Do you want anything, little B?"

Beth looked up at her and smiled. "Juice."

Santana started grumbling about her girlfriend not asking if she wanted anything, but was interrupted by the doorbell ringing again. Judy and Quinn looked at each other with matching looks of confusion on their faces.

"I'll get it," Quinn said, standing up this time to answer it.

She walked to the door and was surprised to see Mercedes on the other side when she opened the door.

"Hey, Quinn," Mercedes said, smiling at her, and leaning in for a hug.

"What are you doing here?" Quinn asked, hugging her back.

"I'm in town for a few days and I thought I'd stop by to say hi," Mercedes replied.

Quinn was a little confused, but let Mercedes in and led her into the living room where everyone else was. Santana, Brittany, and Rachel all gave the new arrival a hug. Mercedes then sat down next to Santana and held out the brightly wrapped gift she had been holding in her hands.

"This is for you," Mercedes said, smiling at Beth.

"What do you say, Beth?" Shelby prodded.

"Thank you," Beth quietly said.

Santana helped Beth hold the rather large box and rip the paper open. Inside was a brightly colored, plastic, princess tea set and Beth's face lit up the moment she saw it.

"I loved playing tea time when I was little and thought she might like it as well," Mercedes explained.

"That's very thoughtful, thank you," Shelby said, smiling.

Before Quinn had the time to ponder why Mercedes had shown up at her house with a gift, the doorbell rang again. Quinn her eyes, wondering who it was going to be this time, and then walked right back to the door. This time, Tina was on the other side, smiling shyly when Quinn opened the door.

"Hi," Tina greeted. "I just thought I'd—stop by."

Quinn nodded. "There seems to be a lot of that going on."

Tina gave a soft laugh and walked into the house; just as Quinn was about to close the door, she heard someone calling out, "Wait."

She opened the door again to find Kurt and Blaine coming up the walk; both of them had gifts under their arms—Kurt a large one and Blaine a more modest gift.

"Did I miss a memo?" Quinn asked Kurt as he walked through the door and gave her a hug.

"Don't be silly," Kurt replied, waving her off.

She received another hug from Blaine and then she pointed the two into the living room, which was quickly becoming packed with current and former Glee members. She leaned against the archway and watched her friends and mother with her daughter. They were all fussing over her and she seemed to be soaking up the attention. Rachel smiled when Santana threw a wad of paper at Puck's head and then Beth mimicked the action; when she looked up at Quinn, though, her smile grew.

"Excuse me," Judy said, getting up, and walking toward the kitchen, giving Quinn an amused smile along the way.

Rachel stood up as well and walked over to Quinn. "Are you okay?"

Quinn nodded. "I just wish I knew why everyone suddenly showed up."

"I think they just all wanted to see Beth," Rachel said, shrugging. "A lot of us were there throughout your pregnancy and I think most of us wondered what she was going to be like." Rachel smiled. "If you and Puck had decided to raise her, I'm pretty sure that little girl would've had a lot of aunts and uncles in her life."

"It looks like she does, anyway," Quinn commented as she watched Kurt interacting with the little girl. "But how did they even know Beth was going to be here?"

Rachel blushed. "I may have mentioned it to Kurt last night; I'm guessing he told Mercedes and she probably told everyone else."

Quinn laughed and wrapped her arm around the brunette's waist. "It's okay; I just wasn't expecting it.

"Neither was I," Rachel said, smiling. "Kurt mentioned nothing to me about stopping by."

"Are your friends staying for dinner, Quinnie?" Judy asked, walking up behind them. "I don't think I've prepared enough food for this many people."

"That shouldn't be a problem," Quinn replied. "Hey, guys, do you want pizza?"

Brittany clapped in delight while Kurt stated, "No mushrooms, please."

"I'll eat anything," Puck replied.

Santana rolled her eyes. "We know, Puck."

Quinn sighed. "I think our friends are going to corrupt my daughter."

Judy laughed. "I'll go order the pizzas."

"Come on," Rachel said, taking Quinn's hand. "We can't let everyone else have all the fun."

Rachel led them over and they both took a seat on the floor. As soon as they were sat, Beth stood up from Kurt's lap and walked over to Quinn to sit in hers, instead. Quinn hugged her daughter and smiled as she kissed the top of her blonde hair. Rachel was still holding onto her right hand and she couldn't help but think this is the happiest she had been in her entire life. If someone had told her a few years ago that these were going to be the most important people in her life, she would have laughed at them. Now, though, she couldn't imagine her life without them, especially the little girl in her lap and the woman by her side.

When the doorbell rang yet again, Quinn laughed, hoping her mother had ordered extra pizzas.

* * *

**So obviously their date happened between the last chapter and this one, but I didn't address it; I will be in the New Year's chapter, though, so don't worry.**

**If you want a schedule for when I'm going to update all my fics, I'm going to keep tumblr updated with the information. You can either look me up under the same name as this site or go to my profile where there's a link.**

**As always, I love hearing what you think, so please leave a review.**


	5. In With the New

**Callie1121: I should actually be updating it later in the week.**

**Everyone be safe tonight. Enjoy…**

* * *

**Chapter 5 – In With the New**

Rachel was in the kitchen, humming to herself as she made her delicious, vegan chocolate chip cookies. Blaine was beside her working on the appetizers and started humming along with her. She was happy he was here so she didn't have to make everything herself; Kurt wasn't much of a cook, but his boyfriend was an excellent one. He had made a four course meal for them the previous night and Rachel had never eaten such amazing food before in her life. If he stayed around much longer she was going to have to increase her workout to avoid gaining weight.

"What time did you say Quinn was going to be here?" Blaine asked, looking over his shoulder.

"Anytime," Rachel replied. "Her plane should have arrived a little bit ago."

Kurt was off picking up Quinn from the airport. Rachel wanted to be the one to get her, but Quinn insisted she would be just fine on her own and made Rachel promise she wouldn't come—which is why she sent Kurt, instead. She normally wouldn't worry about it, but it was going to be super busy considering it was New Year's Eve and many more people would be in the city today to see the ball drop in Times Square.

Rachel wanted to go herself, but spending New Year's with Quinn was much more important to her. When she was discussing it with Quinn, the blonde seemed a little apprehensive about it and Rachel eventually realized huge crowds made her feel claustrophobic. She knew Quinn would have gone for her, but Rachel didn't want her feeling uncomfortable, so she and Kurt opted to have a small gathering at their loft, instead. It was her first chance to see the ball drop, but it definitely wouldn't be her last; she was planning on living here the rest of her life, after all, so she would just go another year.

"It sounds like that's them now," Blaine said, smiling when he heard a slight commotion at the door.

"Oh my God!" Kurt exclaimed as he slid the door open.

Rachel heard a scoff. "Shut it, Hummel."

"Santana?" Rachel whispered, looking at Blaine, who just shrugged his shoulders and looked as surprised as she felt.

She had no idea why she was here, but she definitely heard Santana Lopez coming into her apartment, which probably meant Brittany was here as well. After finally dropping the twelfth cookie onto the cookie sheet, Rachel threw the tray into the oven, set the timer for eight minutes, and walked toward their front door. Kurt was taking his scarf off, looking exhausted, and Brittany, Quinn, and Santana were all taking off their coats. Quinn gave her an apologetic smile the moment she saw her and Brittany threw her coat over Santana's shoulder before bounding over to Rachel.

"Surprise," Brittany said, wrapping Rachel into a big hug. "Don't be mad at Quinn; I wanted it to be a surprise, so I made her promise not to tell you."

"Well, I'm definitely surprised," Rachel replied.

"Good, you can deal with Santana now," Kurt said, walking past her. "I'll help Blaine in the kitchen."

"Don't—"

"And not one word about my cooking abilities!" Kurt interrupted with a huff.

Quinn laughed and walked over to hug Rachel; the brunette wrapped her arms around Quinn's neck and pulled her close. She could see Santana watching them closely with her eyebrow raised, but she didn't really care. Rachel knew it was only a matter of time before Quinn's two best friends figured it out and she didn't seem to be putting too much effort into hiding it. The blonde actually seemed to enjoy frustrating her friend every time she started questioning their friendship, which she would then call and tell Rachel about just in case Santana tried contacting her.

"So, who all's coming to this lame party?" Santana asked.

Quinn rolled her eyes, but Rachel answered, "A few people from NYADA and a few people Kurt works with; it's a fairly small gathering."

Santana didn't look very impressed as she walked past Rachel and flopped down on the couch. Brittany smiled at Rachel and walked over, joining her girlfriend on the couch.

"Sorry about her," Quinn whispered. "I would have told you, but Brittany made me promise and I'm pretty sure Santana would have killed me if I broke it."

"It's fine," Rachel said, smiling at the blonde, her arms still wrapped around her neck. "As long as I get to spend it with you, it doesn't really matter to me who all else is here."

"Are you two going to start making out or something?" Santana asked.

Quinn closed her eyes for a moment as she took a deep breath. "I really should have told Brittany no."

"I have the feeling that is easier said than done," Rachel replied, not knowing how anyone could deny the blonde what she wanted because no one wanted to see her sad—and because Santana would probably beat them up.

"Fine, maybe Brittany and I could come, but Santana could have 'accidently' missed our flight," Quinn replied.

Rachel laughed. "Has she been that bad?"

"You have no idea," Quinn said, rolling her eyes.

"No, seriously—are you two going to start making out?"

* * *

Rachel looked around for Quinn, but didn't see her anywhere; the party was in full swing—well, as full swing as it could be with only dozen people there. The last of her guests had arrived and Rachel wanted to introduce them, but she didn't know where the blonde had gotten off to. She wasn't with Santana or Brittany, who were with Blaine, Kurt, and Harry, one of Kurt's coworkers. She walked around the apartment and was about to turn around and go back into the kitchen when she noticed the window near her bed was slightly ajar. She pushed the window up and stuck her head outside, where she saw the blonde sitting on the fire escape.

"What are you doing out here?" Rachel asked. "And without your coat! It's freezing."

Quinn smiled. "I'm okay, Rach, really."

Rachel sat down beside the blonde, shivering a little since she didn't have her coat on, either. "You didn't answer my first question; what are you doing out here?"

Quinn shrugged and laid her head on Rachel's shoulder. "I guess I just needed a little fresh air."

"Well, when you're done getting fresh air, there are a few people I would like you to meet," Rachel said, starting to stand up, but Quinn grabbed her arm, stopping her.

"Just give me a minute," Quinn said.

"Okay," Rachel replied, resting her head on Quinn's.

They sat there for a little while longer before Quinn raised her head and said, "Alright."

"You're ready?" Rachel asked, smiling.

"I'm ready," Quinn confirmed, standing up, and offering her hands to Rachel.

"Good because I think my butt is numb from sitting on the cold metal," Rachel said, laughing lightly.

Quinn's eyebrow shot up and a smirk came across her face; Rachel wondered what the look meant until she felt Quinn's hand land on her butt and her jaw dropped slightly in surprise.

"Are you sure it's numb?" Quinn asked.

"Okay, I might have exaggerated slightly," Rachel replied.

Quinn laughed, removed her hand, and motioned for Rachel to go inside. The blonde crawled through the window after her and Rachel took her hand, leading her into the living room area.

"I guess you found who you were looking for," Brody said as soon as Rachel walked up to him.

"I did," Rachel said, smiling. "Brody, this is Quinn; Quinn, this is Brody."

"Hi," Quinn said, sounding rather cold.

"Nice to meet you," Brody said, giving Quinn a friendly smile.

She felt Quinn's grip on her hand tighten and the blonde took a step closer to her, so they were nearly attached at the hip. She wanted to roll her eyes at her girlfriend's possessiveness, but tried not to and, truthfully, she actually found it a little endearing. Brody was always a slightly sore subject when he came up, but it was hard not to mention him when Quinn asked about her day. She told Quinn everything that'd happened between the two of them—that they had kissed—and assured her that they were strictly friends now, but the blonde obviously did not trust him.

"Sure," Quinn replied. "We're going over there now."

This time Rachel did roll her eyes at how rude Quinn was being; when she looked over her shoulder, Brody was giving her an amused smile.

"That was very rude, you know," Rachel said as Quinn led them over to Santana and Brittany.

"I don't like him," Quinn stated.

"You don't know him," Rachel said in annoyance.

Quinn scoffed. "I don't need to."

"Quinn," Rachel said, pulling the blonde to halt. "You have nothing to worry about." Quinn tried to look away, but Rachel put her hands on the girl's cheeks and turned her head back. "Brody and I are strictly friends; he hasn't tried anything since I told him I had feelings for someone else. There is no reason for you to worry, okay? I'm with you and only you; I don't want anyone else."

Quinn sighed and then nodded. "I'm sorry."

"It's not me that you need to apologize to," Rachel stated.

"Let's not push it," Quinn replied.

Rachel laughed lightly. "Fine, but will you at least try to be a little nicer the next time you speak to him."

"Fine," Quinn said, looking none too happy about it.

"Thank you," Rachel said, kissing Quinn on the cheek.

* * *

It was nearly midnight and everyone in the room was sitting around the television; Brittany and Santana were taking up most of the couch, Blaine was sitting in the armchair with Kurt perched on the side, and everyone else was scattered around the floor. Quinn and Rachel were standing behind the couch; since everyone was busy watching the television, no one was really paying attention to them, so the brunette was snuggled into her girlfriend's side.

When the ball started dropping, nearly everyone in the room started counting down along with the television. Rachel wondered if she would be able to sneak and kiss the blonde without anyone seeing; if it was quick enough, though, she doubted anyone would really notice

"Three, two, one."

Rachel turned to Quinn to give her a quick kiss, but she stopped when she saw the smile on the blonde's face. Quinn put her hand on Rachel's cheek and ducked down, attaching their lips together in a very unhurried kiss. It was actually the kind of kiss Rachel always wanted to receive at midnight—one full of emotion and passion. Quinn didn't even seem to care that there were quite a few other people in the room, which just made Rachel that much happier.

"I knew it!" Santana suddenly shouted.

Quinn and Rachel pulled apart to find their friend pointing at her and look like she'd just won the lottery; Brittany was beside her, looking overjoyed as well, and Kurt looked like he was trying to stop from laughing. Rachel could feel herself blushing and she looked over to find Quinn with a red tinge to her cheeks as well.

"Thank you, Santana," Quinn sarcastically said.

"This is so great!" Brittany said, smiling widely. "I knew you'd eventually realize how great sweet lady kisses are!"

Santana laughed loudly. "Okay, we need to have a little chat."

"Sounds like fun," Quinn mumbled.

Santana stood up and started walking toward Rachel's bedroom; when no one followed her, she turned around and glared at the two. "Move it!"

Quinn rolled her eyes and followed Santana into the bedroom; Rachel laughed lightly, shook her head, and followed the blonde. She knew they were about to be interrogated, but she wasn't too worried about it. Throughout three years in Glee, she was used to dealing with Santana by now; Rachel even considered the former Cheerio a friend now and knew she was more bark than bite.

"Have a seat," Santana said as soon as they were both in the room.

Rachel and Quinn both did as they were told, but the blonde didn't look nearly as amused as Rachel was.

"What do you want?" Quinn asked.

"I want to know how long this had been going on," Santana said, pacing in front of them.

"A while," Quinn replied.

Santana's eyebrow rose. "Start from the beginning."

"Well," Rachel said, ready to get this over with so she could go back to her friends. "Everything started Halloween night, I guess."

"What happened on Halloween?" Santana asked.

"After everyone left the party, I was about to get into bed when I heard the doorbell ring," Rachel explained. "I thought I was about to be the victim of a prank, but it was Quinn outside my door."

Santana nodded. "And what was she doing there?"

"I kissed her," Quinn bluntly replied.

"_You_ kissed her?" Santana asked, stopping.

Quinn glared at her friend. "Yes."

"So, you were the one that initiated it?" Santana asked, continuing to pace.

"Yes," Quinn said, rolling her eyes.

"And you two are dating?" Santana asked.

"We are," Rachel answered, smiling.

Santana nodded again. "When was your first date?"

"A few weeks ago," Rachel replied

"What did you do on your date?" Santana asked.

Quinn narrowed her eyes. "Why do you need to know that?"

"Just answer the question," Santana demanded.

"Quinn took me to a wonderful restaurant," Rachel answered. "After we ate, we went ice skating at Rockefeller Center and then we she took me to see Evita on Broadway."

"Have you two had sex yet?" Santana asked.

"Santana!" Rachel squealed. "It is highly inappropriate for you to ask us something so personal."

"I'll take that as a 'no'," Santana said, smirking. "Will you let me know when you do?"

Santana turned and left the room without another word, leaving Rachel to wonder what had just happened. Quinn didn't look all that surprised by it, maybe because she was used to this kind of behavior from her friend.

Rachel just shook her head and stood up. "Now that the interrogation is over, would you like to go back into the living room?"

"Is Santana in there?" Quinn asked.

Rachel laughed. "Come on."

When they walked into the other room, most of the people were still there, but a few had left. They walked over to Kurt and Blaine, who were both watching them when they came into the room.

"You look like you survived," Blaine said with a laugh.

"Hey, Rachel, can we talk for a second?" Brody asked, walking up behind her.

Rachel gave Quinn a kiss on the cheek and then walked with Brody to a slightly quieter corner of the room; when they stopped, she turned to him and asked, "You wanted to speak?"

"Why didn't you tell me," Brody said, nudging her with his shoulder, and nodding to Quinn. "I mean, I figured it out tonight when I saw you two together, but why didn't you say anything before?"

"Well, as you can tell by Santana's lovely reaction, we have not made our relationship known to anyone," Rachel said, shrugging. "Quinn is rather private, so I was simply trying to respect that."

Brody smiled. "I get it."

"You're not angry with me, then?" Rachel asked.

"Angry—no," Brody replied. "A little disappointed that two women as hot as yourselves are now off the market, but I'll get over it."

"Well that's very good to know," Rachel joked.

"I'm gonna head out," Brody said, giving Rachel a light hug. "I'll see you at school, okay?"

Rachel nodded. "Enjoy the rest of your break."

"I always do," Brody said, smiling at her.

Rachel smiled back and when he slid the door shut, she walked back to her friends. Quinn was watching her with a small smile on her face and Rachel kissed her the moment she was close enough.

"Thank you," Rachel said, pulling away.

"What for?" Quinn asked.

"You didn't glare at Brody while we were speaking," Rachel replied, smiling.

"Will you repeat everything to Tina that you told me?" Santana asked, walking up to them, and holding her cellphone out to Rachel. "The bitch doesn't believe me."

"Why are you telling Tina?" Rachel asked, frowning.

"They made a bet," Brittany answered for her girlfriend.

"Excuse me?" Quinn asked the other blonde.

"San, Mercedes, and Tina made a bet," Brittany repeated. "Mercedes betted them that nothing was going on, but Santana and Tina thought there was and they started betting on other things."

"What other things?" Quinn asked, crossing her arms.

"You know—like who kissed who and where you went on your first date and stuff like that," Brittany said, smiling.

Quinn slowly turned to Santana, who actually looked a little frightened. A second later, Santana took off running and Quinn wasn't very far behind; they ran around the couch several times before Santana ran toward Kurt's bedroom; considering the place was technically only one room, she really didn't have anywhere to hide, and Rachel knew Quinn would catch up to her sooner or later.

"Should we stop them?" Blaine asked, watching them run around.

"Would you really want to get in between Quinn Fabray and Santana Lopez?" Kurt asked with a scoff. "Personally, I like all of my appendages."

Blaine looked like he was thinking about that for a moment. "Okay, you're right." He watched them for a few more moments. "Anyone want a snack?"

Kurt shrugged. "Sure."

One by the one, they started walking into the kitchen, sitting down at the small table; Blaine grabbed one of the cookies Rachel had made while Rachel and Kurt grabbed the few remaining appetizers. Rachel watched as one of her NYADA classmates walked to the door; they waved to each other before she left the apartment.

After a while Quinn walked over with a self-satisfied smirk on her face; Rachel was slightly afraid to ask, but she decided to anyway.

"You look happy," Rachel noted. "Where's Santana?"

"The first escape," Quinn replied, shrugging. "I may or may not have locked the window."

"Hey, did Santana ever get her bags from the hall?" Kurt asked.

"Bags?" Rachel asked. "She's only going to be here a few days; how many were there?"

"Five," Kurt said, rolling his eyes. "And she made me carry them."

"Why would she need five bags?" Rachel asked.

"Who knows," Quinn said, rolling her eyes.

"Oh, didn't San tell you?" Brittany asked, overhearing the conversation when she walked toward the refrigerator. "She said she's moving to New York and is going to live with you."

"What?" Quinn, Rachel, and Kurt asked simultaneously.

Quinn groaned and rested her head against the table while Kurt rubbed his temples.

"It'll be alright," Rachel assured, kissing Quinn's shoulder, and then leaning her head against the spot.

* * *

**Valentine's Day will probably be next…unless I decide to do a more minor holiday.**

**Comments are always appreciated and make the writer very happy, so please leave one.**


	6. Loving You

**Sorry, sorry, sorry. I know this is a day late; I had it done last night, but then I forgot to post it, which is kind of important.**

* * *

**Chapter 6 – Loving You**

Quinn stood just outside the train station, waiting on Rachel to arrive. The brunette told her she could get to Quinn's dorm just fine on her own and the blonde had agreed; that didn't mean Quinn was going to let her, though. She knew her girlfriend would scold her for showing up—or possibly this was one of those girlfriend tests where she said not to show up, but really wanted her to. She didn't think Rachel would be playing mind games with her, but the thought had crossed her mind; that wasn't why she was here, though. Quinn just really missed Rachel and didn't want to wait a moment longer than necessary to see her, especially since the other girl was only going to be here for the evening, which was far too short for Quinn's liking.

It was Valentine's Day—their first Valentine's Day—and the two wanted to spend the day together. Their classes meant neither of them could spend the night out of the respective cities, so Rachel suggested taking the train to New Haven and then leaving late that night. Quinn cursed the fact that they both had classes the next day, but at least she would get to spend part of the day with her girlfriend and in a Santana free environment.

Ever since her friend had moved in with Kurt and Rachel, it was a nightmare going to the city. Santana didn't have a job and wasn't going to school, so she was always at the apartment, interrupting Quinn and Rachel's alone time. She either didn't realize she was doing it or didn't care—Quinn suspected the latter—but it was getting on Quinn's nerves. Every time they tried to go out, Santana wanted to tag along, and then Kurt would usually come as well since their night was already ruined.

"I told you I could make it to your dorm on my own."

Quinn looked up at the sound of her girlfriend's voice; Rachel had her hands on her hips and a pout on her face, which only made Quinn smile. "We both know you're not angry with me." Quinn pushed off the wall she had been leaning against and walked toward the brunette. "I missed you and couldn't wait a second longer to see you."

"Well, when you put it like that—" Rachel leaned up, bringing their lips together in a chaste but lingering kiss. "I missed you, too."

Quinn smiled wider as she took Rachel's hand; her girlfriend snuggled into her side, though, and Quinn had to let go of her hand, wrapping her arm around the brunette's waist, instead. While Quinn wasn't really out to anyone but a few friends, she didn't really care who saw her—not here, anyway. It might be a different story if they were walking down the street in Lima, but no one here even gave them a second glance.

"So what are your plans for today, Miss Fabray," Rachel asked, looking up at her, and smiling.

"Honestly, I thought we could get takeout and go back to my room," Quinn replied. "I know it's not the most romantic way to spend today, but I didn't want to waste any of my time with you. If we went to a restaurant, we would have to wait and it's hard to talk with a hundred people around and—"

"Quinn," Rachel interrupted. "It's quite alright. I will gladly spend the evening with you however you want to spend it."

As they walked out of the train station, Quinn led them toward campus. The ground was covered in snow, but the sidewalks were scraped and salted, so Quinn wasn't too worried about falling—something that had happened to her a few days prior. Luckily the only thing she had hurt was her ego.

"As beautiful as New York is in the snow, I have to admit, it's even prettier here," Rachel commented as she looked around.

Quinn hummed in agreement before asking, "Does that mean you wouldn't mind taking a walk?"

"I'm quite fond of walks when they're with you, so no, I would be amenable to that," Rachel said with a smile.

Quinn could help but laugh. "Most people would have just said yes."

"Sorry," Rachel said, blushing. "I've learned that it's kind of fun annoying Santana now that I know she's not going to attack me, and I've also discovered that the thing that annoys her most is my extensive vocabulary."

"So you're purposefully using big words to annoy Santana?" Quinn asked.

"Precisely," Rachel replied with a nod.

Quinn shook her head, smiling. "Rachel Berry, I didn't know you had it in you."

"I blame Santana," Rachel replied. "I think she's a bad influence."

"Next thing you know, you'll be threatening to go all Lima Heights on someone," Quinn joked.

Rachel laughed loudly. "If that should ever happen, remind me to make her find other living arrangements."

"Can I remind you of that anyway?" Quinn asked, smirking. "Like the next time she invites herself on one of our dates?"

"Feel free," Rachel said, leaning up and kissing her cheek.

* * *

After walking around campus for a while, Quinn and Rachel decided to take a break and ran into the library as refuge from the cold. There hadn't been much talking—just the occasional comment or question—and that was one of the things Quinn found that she loved. It was nice to be near someone without the need to feel every second with mindless chatter. And as much as Rachel got made fun of in high school for it—including from Quinn—the brunette didn't feel the need to talk every moment of the day. Rachel was the first person Quinn dated that she felt comfortable enough to just enjoy being around, and it seemed as if Rachel felt the same way. Maybe it was because Rachel was the first person she truly loved; she felt content just being in her presence and didn't feel like she had to play some role.

Quinn looked at her phone to see the time and then glanced up when Rachel said, "Wow."

"That's what I said the first time I walked in here, too," Quinn said, smiling at Rachel's awed face.

"So many books," Rachel whispered as she looked around. "You must be in Heaven here; I understand why you generally come to the library to study."

Quinn nodded. "Yeah, I—"

"Hi, Quinn!" a chipper voice greeted.

Quinn watched as Rachel's eyes found the source of the voice and narrowed them ever so slightly. The blonde had been surprised to find that Rachel was actually quite possessive; with anyone else, she would have found it annoying, but with Rachel, she found it endearing and quite adorable.

"Hello, Mindy," Quinn said to the tall brunette.

"I'm surprised to see you here tonight," the girl said, stepping a little too close to Quinn like she always did. "I thought someone like you would be out with your boyfriend or something."

"Actually, my girlfriend and I were just about to decide where we would like to eat," Quinn said, pointedly grabbing Rachel's hand.

"Your girlfriend," Mindy echoed, looking slightly dejected, her eyes finally falling on the shorter brunette.

"I'm Rachel," she said, giving the other girl a sweet smile that Quinn knew was completely fake.

"I'll see you in class tomorrow," Quinn said, hoping the brunette would take the hint.

"Yeah," Mindy replied. "I'll see you."

Rachel watched her leave as she said, "I don't like her."

"Neither do I," Quinn replied in amusement.

"I'm sorry," Rachel said, ducking her head.

"Luckily for you, I think it's cute," Quinn said, giving Rachel a quick kiss on the lips, "So, Italian, Green, Chinese, or something else?"

"Chinese sounds good," Rachel replied before pouting. "I wanted it last night, but Kurt and Santana outvoted me. I'm beginning to suspect Santana always chooses to side with Kurt just because she likes me to lose."

"Probably," Quinn said, thinking that sounded exactly like something Santana would do. "Do you know what you want to order?"

Rachel shrugged, then smiled. "Surprise me."

"I do seem to be fairly good at that," Quinn joked, flashing her a small smirk.

Rachel rolled her eyes but smiled nevertheless. Quinn pulled her phone out of her coat pocket and found the Chinese restaurant's to place their order as Rachel wandered off further into the library. When she ended the call, she walked over to her girlfriend and entwined their fingers together.

"Come on," Quinn said, squeezing Rachel's hand, and then tugging it gently. "There's something I want to show you."

"Shouldn't we leave to pick up the food?" Rachel asked.

"They said thirty minutes," Quinn commented. "It'll only take ten to walk there, so we have a little time."

"Okay then," Rachel said, smiling at her.

Quinn led Rachel through the throng of students and made her way to the second floor. She gently tugged Rachel toward the right and pulled her into the stacks.

"Where are you taking me?" Rachel asked.

Quinn laughed. "Don't worry; I know it seems ominous, but it's not like I'm leading you to your death or anything." Quinn looked back at Rachel and grinned when the brunette huffed. "I'm just showing you my favorite spot in the library."

"Oh?" Rachel said, sounding intrigued now.

"It's just over here," Quinn said, turning another corner, and stopped. "This is it."

"So this is where you are when you're in the library?" Rachel asked.

Quinn sat down in the floor and pulled Rachel with her. "Yep."

"You totally brought me here to have your way with me, didn't you?" Rachel asked.

Quinn laughed lightly. "Maybe."

"I have no objections to that," Rachel said, leaning in.

Quinn smiled and placed her hands on Rachel's cheeks, bringing their lips together. Rachel responded immediately, giving Quinn the greeting she didn't get at the train station. Quinn parted her lips when she felt the brunette's tongue brush along them and Rachel wasted no time. Their tongues met and Rachel moaned quietly, but it was enough to make Quinn pull back.

"What's wrong?" Rachel asked, looking at her in concern.

Quinn shook her head, smiling and gave Rachel another, more subdued kiss. "Nothing is wrong; I just didn't think this would be the best place to get carried away." Quinn stood up and offered a hand to her girlfriend. "Let's go pick up the food and head back to my dorm."

"I suppose we could do that," Rachel said with a smile.

* * *

Quinn stuck her key in the door while trying to juggle their food since Rachel had ahold of her other hand. It took a few tries, but she eventually got the door unlocked and stepped aside for Rachel to enter. The brunette paused just inside the doorway and Quinn smiled; she couldn't see the look on Rachel's face, but her body language said enough.

"Quinn," Rachel said, gasping.

"You're not going to give me a lecture on fire hazards, are you?" Quinn asked, half joking, but also half expecting Rachel to do it.

Rachel looked over her shoulder and smiled at her. "No, I'm not. Although, I do hope those candles haven't been burning the whole time we were out."

Quinn laughed. "No. My roommate was nice enough to light them before she left to meet her boyfriend."

"How long ago was that?" Rachel asked.

"About five minutes," Quinn replied.

"So that's who you were texting," Rachel said, turning around, and wrapping her arms around Quinn's neck.

"Come on," Quinn said, walking Rachel backwards, into the room. "Let's eat before the food gets cold—or the building burns down."

Rachel pulled Quinn into a kiss as they walked toward the middle of the room. Quinn was still holding the bag of food in one hand, but wrapped her free arm around Rachel's waist. She had a blanket on the floor for them to eat on and there were candles throughout the room; Quinn figured if they were spending Valentine's Day in her dorm, it should at least be somewhat romantic, and if the kiss was any indication, Rachel definitely appreciated the gesture.

"I can't believe you did this," Rachel softly said, smiling up at her.

"What kind of crappy girlfriend do you think I am?" Quinn joked.

"Not crappy, busy," Rachel corrected. "I would think you were wonderful girlfriend even if we were eating on your bed and those terrible florescent lights were on."

Quinn laughed. "I'll remember that for next year."

"Considering next year Valentine's will fall on a Friday, I don't foresee us having these problems," Rachel commented, and then her smile grew. "Does that mean you think there will be a next year for us?"

"Do you?" Quinn asked, hoping to deflect the question.

"I do," Rachel replied. "And don't think I didn't notice what you did there."

Quinn smiled guiltily. "That worked a lot better with Finn and Sam."

"That's because boys don't pay attention," Rachel stated. "This is the price you will pay for being in a relationship with another female."

"I think I can live with that," Quinn said, leaning down, and bringing their lips together, but Rachel quickly pulled away, leaving Quinn to pout.

"You still haven't answered my question," Rachel said, looking up at her.

Quinn didn't know why, but she still had some trouble talking about her feelings even though it was just Rachel. The brunette was always trying to get things out of her, and Quinn usually relented, but she guessed old habits die hard. Growing up, she learned that emotions were a sign of weakness, and Fabrays are never supposed to show that they are weak in any way. Rachel was the complete opposite, though; her face always showed what she was feeling and she wasn't afraid of it. Quinn admired that about Rachel, but it was still difficult to be that way herself.

"Yes," Quinn said, running her hand down Rachel's arm.

Rachel beamed. "Really?"

"Did you think I was going to say no?" Quinn asked with a laugh.

Rachel shrugged. "One never wants to assume."

Rachel took the bag from Quinn's hand and gently set it on the floor before stripping off her coat and tossing it on the nearest chair. She then did the same to Quinn's coat, throwing it on top of hers, and grabbed the back of Quinn's neck. Their lips collided and Quinn followed Rachel, who was pulling her toward the bed. When the back of Rachel's knees hit the mattress, she sat down on the bed, pulling Quinn with her.

"The food is going to get cold," Quinn said between kisses.

"It'll be fine," Rachel replied.

Quinn moaned when Rachel's teeth caught her bottom lip and the blonde crawled on top of Rachel, straddling her thighs as she hovered above her. The moment Quinn parted her lips, Rachel's tongue met hers, stroking it. Quinn deepened the kiss and pulled their bodies closer together as she practically laid on top of her girlfriend. Her fingers ran through Rachel's silky hair and down her back as she turned to the side, bring Rachel with her so they were lying next to each other. Rachel's hands were running up Quinn's side, under her shirt, and her breath hitched when the brunette ran her thumbs over her bra.

"Is this okay?" Rachel whispered, pulling back to look into her eyes.

Quinn swallowed thickly as she nodded, and Rachel ran her thumbs along the fabric again. She bit her lip to stifle a moan and captured Rachel's lips again. Rachel moved her hands down, running her nails down Quinn's stomach, towards the waistband of pants. Quinn stilled her hands, though, and flopped onto her back.

"Okay, we have to stop," Quinn said, slightly out of breath.

"Did I do something wrong?" Rachel asked. "Do you not—are you not ready?"

"No," Quinn quickly said, putting her hand on Rachel's cheek. "And believe me, I think about this embarrassingly often, but I don't want it to be like this." She smiled as she ran her thumb along the brunette's smooth skin. "I want to be able to wake up next you in the morning, not take you to the train station right after."

Rachel softly smiled back. "I love you."

Quinn felt like her heart stopped the moment those three words came out of Rachel's mouth. When she didn't immediately say it back, she saw the smile drop a bit on Rachel's face, but she couldn't seem to form the words.

"We should probably eat," Rachel quietly said, moving to stand up.

"I love you, too," Quinn said, reaching out to grab Rachel's hand. "I—" Quinn smiled. "I love you."

"You're not just saying that, are you?" Rachel asked.

"No," Quinn said, shaking her head. "I love you, Rachel Berry. For longer than you know."

Rachel leaned in, giving Quinn a kiss, and then pulled back. "We really should eat that food before it's cold."

Quinn laughed. "I have a feeling we're a little late for that."

* * *

"We should probably get you to the train station," Quinn said, turning her head to look at Rachel.

"Five more minutes," Rachel replied.

Quinn laughed lightly. "Okay, but then we really have to go or you'll miss your train."

"That would be such a tragedy," Rachel joked.

"You're the one with an exam at nine in the morning," Quinn reminded her.

Rachel sighed and then began to pout. "Stupid exam."

"Has anyone ever told you how adorable you are?" Quinn asked, smiling at the brunette.

"Someone might have mentioned it once or twice, but one never gets tired of hearing such compliments," Rachel replied.

"You are," Quinn kissed Rachel and pulled back, smiling, "completely adorable."

"Oh yeah?" Rachel asked, and Quinn could tell that she was trying to contain her grin.

"Yeah," Quinn answered. "You have the most adorable smile and the most adorable laugh and the most adorable nose—"

"Okay, now I know you're exaggerating," Rachel interrupted.

"No, I'm not," Quinn said, kissing the tip of her girlfriend's nose. "It's adorable and one of the things that makes you unique. When you wanted to have surgery on it to look like mine, I kept hoping you would change your mind, but of course I wasn't going to say that at the time." Quinn rolled her eyes at herself. "I really was an idiot then."

"You were not an idiot," Rachel softly said. "You were just scared; it's completely understandable for someone with your background and the pressures placed upon you at a young age. I actually think it's remarkable that you've come as far as you have considering everything."

"Too bad it didn't happen sooner," Quinn said, tracing her finger along Rachel's jawline. "I spent so much time being a bitch to you; so much time trying to hate you because I really hated myself."

"You know I forgave you long ago, Quinn," Rachel said, taking the blonde's hand, and kissing her knuckles. "If everything in the past hadn't happened, we wouldn't be who we are today—we wouldn't know how special what we have is."

Quinn smiled. "I suppose that's a good way to look at it."

"Of course it is," Rachel said, nudging Quinn with her shoulder.

"Okay, we really need to get you to the train station now," Quinn said, sighing.

"Okay," Rachel said, sounding completely unenthused by the prospect.

Quinn crawled off the bed and held her hand out. "I know it sucks, but I'll come to the city this weekend."

"Really?" Rachel asked, visibly brightening.

"Really," Quinn said, pulling Rachel off the bed, and giving her a kiss. "I'll leave after my final class tomorrow."

Quinn handed Rachel her coat and threw her own on as well as her scarf and gloves. As soon as Rachel's mittens were on, Quinn took her hand and walked to the door. Rachel was quiet as she always was when they were about to part; it was something Quinn had learned about the brunette over the last few months, so she usually just held Rachel's hand and stayed quiet, too. By the time they reached the train station, Rachel looked sad, so Quinn gave her hand a squeeze.

"Don't look like that," Quinn said, smiling at her.

"I'm just going to miss you," Rachel replied.

"You'll see me tomorrow," Quinn pointed out.

Rachel ducked her head. "I know—I just hate saying goodbye."

Quinn stopped and turned toward the brunette. "I know the feeling."

"I'm being pathetic," Rachel said, blushing.

"You're not pathetic," Quinn said, shaking her head. "I completely understand."

Rachel sighed and looked at her train, which was pulling up to the station. "Looks like I arrived just in time."

Quinn brought their lips together for one last kiss and then pulled away, resting their foreheads together. "I'll see you in less than twenty-four hours."

"That's way too long," Rachel said with a pout.

"I know," Quinn said, kissing Rachel's nose.

Rachel gave her a self-deprecating smile and kissed her cheek. "I'll text you when I arrive."

Quinn watched Rachel walked toward the train; as soon as she reached it, though, Rachel turned around, ran back to Quinn, and launched herself into the blonde's arms.

"I love you," Rachel whispered into her ear, before disentangling herself, and running back to the train.

"I love you, too," Quinn called after her.

Rachel looked over her shoulder, smiling, and Quinn sighed to herself when the brunette disappeared into the train. She hated saying goodbye just as much as Rachel did, though she didn't want to say that to her girlfriend because she knew it would just make it that much harder. She only had to make it a day until Rachel would be back in her arms, but it was amazing how long a day seemed when you were away from the girl you love.

* * *

**Reviews are always welcome and highly encouraged.**


	7. No Regrets

**Okay, so I know spring break is not an actual holiday in the traditional sense, but it pretty much is for any college student. I didn't think anyone would complain.**

* * *

**Chapter 7 – No Regrets**

Rachel was excited—more excited than she had been in a while. She had just gotten out of her last class and was almost home; the ride on the subway seemed like it had taken longer than usual, but she figured that was because she was so excited to get home. The moment she walked out of her last class, spring break had officially begun. She wasn't doing anything fancy—no trips to the beach or abroad—but she was getting to spend the entire week with Quinn, and that was better than anything else she could think of.

Kurt was going to Paris with Burt, Carole, and Finn as a sort of honeymoon, but for the whole family, and Santana was already on her way to Lima, so they would have the apartment all to themselves. She was excited yet also nervous about the prospect of having so much time alone with Quinn. They had yet to be intimate, and while she was ready to take that next step in their relationship, it was also a little scary. She didn't have that much experience in the area, so the prospect was a little daunting.

As she slid the door open to her apartment, Rachel called out, "Honey, I'm home."

"It's about time," Kurt said, holding up a nail with one hand and a hammer in the other.

"What are you doing?" Rachel asked, looking up at him.

"Santana took my picture down _again_," Kurt said with an exaggerated sigh. "How many times does she have to do that before I can finally kick her freeloading butt out on the street?"

"It's not freeloading if she's paying rent," Rachel reminded him.

Kurt huffed. "She just moved in here without asking anyone."

"You know she would still be here even if she did ask," Rachel pointed out. "It's impossible to say no to her and you know it."

"Fine, but she still could have asked," Kurt said, giving her a pointed look.

"Are you two arguing about Santana again?"

"Quinn!" Rachel said, launching herself at the blonde. "What are you doing here? I thought your last class wasn't over for another hour. You skipped class, didn't you!?"

Quinn smiled. "Maybe."

"Quinn!" Rachel repeated, but this time it was with a hint of disapproval rather than surprise.

"I'm sorry, but the class is really boring," Quinn responded.

"That's no excuse," Rachel said, crossing her arms.

"And I missed you," Quinn whispered.

Rachel couldn't help but smile; she was too happy that she was here to really be angry with her for skipping one class. "I missed you, too."

Rachel wrapped her arms around Quinn's neck and stood on the tips of her toes to kiss the blonde. When their lips met, Rachel smiled; it had been nearly two weeks since their last kiss and that was two weeks too long. She hated not seeing Quinn every day, but with school, it made it impossible to even see each other every weekend. Sometimes Quinn would have an exam or a big project on Monday, so it wasn't logical for her to make the trip to the city just to spend all weekend with her nose in a book. Though, sometimes Rachel was tempted to take that train ride to New Haven just to watch Quinn study; Rachel thought the blonde looked extra cute when she was wearing glasses and had that look of concentration that she always got when she was trying to memorize something.

Kurt cleared his throat. "I'm still in the room, you know."

Quinn pulled away with a laugh. "Hi, Kurt."

"Hi, Quinn," Kurt greeted.

"Rachel tells me you're going to Paris," Quinn said. "You must be excited."

"You have no idea," Kurt said, smiling.

"When does your plane leave," Quinn asked.

"Tomorrow afternoon," Kurt replied. "You two are stuck with me until then."

"That's fine," Quinn said with a light laugh. "It's not like we have any big plans for this weekend."

Rachel looked away from her girlfriend and blushed when Kurt caught her eye; she knew he knew exactly what she was thinking and it was obvious that he was trying to contain his laugher.

* * *

"I can't believe you haven't seen Clueless!" Rachel said, aghast.

Quinn laughed. "What can I say, I'm more of an 80s movie type of girl."

"Yes, but—it's Clueless," Rachel said, feeling completely dumbfounded by the fact that Quinn had never seen the DVD she was currently holding in her hands. "We have to rectify this right now."

"Fine," Quinn replied, sitting back on the couch. "Put it in."

Rachel squealed and launched herself at Quinn, kissing her girlfriend before practically skipping over to the DVD player and putting in the disc.

"So, what's so special about this movie?" Quinn asked, raising her eyebrow.

"Watch and you shall find out," Rachel said, grinning at her.

Rachel sat down next to the blonde and scooted over when Quinn draped her arm over her shoulders. As she pressed 'play' on the menu, Rachel snuggled into Quinn's side and glanced up at her, smiling. One of Rachel's greatest joys was sharing things she loved with her friends, and one of her favorite things about it was watching people as they watched a movie for the first time. Everyone knew about her love of music and Broadway, but most people didn't know about Rachel's love of movies. Unfortunately, Quinn was annoyingly unexpressive when she watched movies, and Rachel was convinced she did it on purpose.

By the time the credits began rolling, Rachel was incredibly anxious to know what Quinn thought of the movie, so the moment she turned the screen off, she turned to the blonde and asked, "Well?"

"It was okay," Quinn said, shrugging.

"Okay?" Rachel asked, scoffing.

Quinn laughed. "Fine, it was good."

Rachel narrowed her eyes. "You do this on purpose, don't you?"

"I always did love seeing you riled up," Quinn said, smirking.

"You're terrible," Rachel said with a pout.

"And you still love me," Quinn said, kissing Rachel's cheek, and smiling at her.

Rachel smiled as she leaned forward and captured Quinn's lips. The blonde's arms were immediately around her waist and Rachel put her hands on Quinn's shoulders, pushing her until she moved and her back was against the arm of the couch. Rachel shifted her leg, so she was half straddling, half lying on top of Quinn.

Quinn let out a little moan as Rachel ran her tongue along her girlfriend's bottom lip. The blonde opened her mouth and titled her head, allowing Rachel to deepen the kiss. Quinn's hands went from Rachel's waist, up her sides, and tangled into her dark hair. The moment Rachel's fingers slipped under the material of Quinn's shirt, though, the blonde put her hands on Rachel's shoulders and lightly pushed her back.

Rachel pulled back and gave her girlfriend a questioning look. "Is something wrong?"

"We should really go to bed," Quinn said, running her thumb across Rachel's lips. "You wanted to get up early, remember? It's getting late."

Rachel plastered on a smile. "Yeah."

Quinn kissed her cheek and stood up from the couch, heading toward Rachel's bedroom. Halfway to the other room she stopped and turned, holding her hand out for Rachel. The brunette stood and walked toward her girlfriend, taking her outstretched hand, and heading to the bedroom. Rachel knew Quinn was right; they did have to get up early and it was getting late, but she had the feeling there was more to it than that. She wanted to ask, but Quinn was smiling at her sweetly, so she smiled back and followed her to the bedroom.

* * *

Rachel watched as Quinn flitted around the kitchen, making whatever it was she was making. She told her she didn't have to make anything and they could just get something delivered, but Quinn had been adamant about cooking dinner for Rachel. The brunette didn't fight it too much, though; neither she or Kurt were very good at cooking, and they generally lived on takeout, so it would be nice eating something different for a change.

She had been watching Quinn closely all day; for the last few days they had been doing a lot of walking around the city and she was a bit worried about the strain on Quinn's back. The blonde assured her that she was okay, albeit a little tired; she couldn't help but still worry, though. It had been a year since Quinn's car accident and Rachel knew she was doing well, but she was still afraid she would push herself too much.

"What are you thinking about?" Quinn asked.

Rachel looked up to find Quinn leaning against the counter, smiling at her. "You."

Quinn laughed. "Really?"

"I'm always thinking about you," Rachel admitted with a blush.

Quinn nodded and went back to the stove, but looked over her shoulder and said, "I know the feeling."

A smile slowly spread across Rachel's face. It hadn't stopped amazing her that this wonderful, smart, gorgeous woman loved her. She knew Quinn could have anyone she wanted; she had witnessed the effect Quinn had on people throughout high school and even now, she noticed people staring at the blonde wherever they went. Yet Quinn was with her and actually seemed oblivious to the fact that people were constantly staring at her. She only seemed to have eyes for Rachel and that was something the brunette still had a hard time comprehending.

Rachel would be lying if she said she wasn't insecure about Quinn's feelings, though, and the last few days hadn't been helping. Every time she started kissing Quinn and it began leading anywhere, the blonde would always stop it. It wasn't that Rachel was trying to pressure Quinn into anything; they had talked about it before, several times in fact, and Quinn said she was ready. Rachel didn't know if something had changed, but she was beginning to feel a little frustrated. If Quinn would tell her she wasn't ready, Rachel would happily wait until she was, but she hadn't said anything, and Rachel didn't like not knowing what was going on.

"Where did you learn to cook?" Rachel wondered.

"I used to help my mother in the kitchen," Quinn replied, looking over at Rachel. "It started out because my father wanted me to learn to cook so I could 'take care of my husband like a proper wife'." Quinn rolled her eyes. "I liked doing it, though, so I really didn't mind being in the kitchen with her. Plus, unlike all my friends at Yale, I don't have to eat fast food all the time because I can actually fix a meal. I swear some of them could mess up boiling water."

"Is that possible?" Rachel asked with an amused smile.

"Actually, it is," Quinn said, laughing. "My roommate tried to help me last week and I swear I saw it happen."

"Why don't you really talk about your friends at Yale?" Rachel asked.

Quinn shrugged. "I don't know."

Rachel tilted her head, studying Quinn. "You know you can, right?"

"I just—" Quinn sighed and looked away. "I don't know."

"It's because I haven't made many friends here, isn't it?" Rachel asked, and by the look on Quinn's face, she knew the answer. "You don't have to feel bad that I haven't acquired as many friends as I had hoped. You're allowed to talk about the important people in your life—I even encourage it."

"_You_ are the important person in my life," Quinn said, coming over, and wrapping her arms around Rachel's neck. "And honestly, I like hearing more about your life than talking about my own."

Rachel nodded. "Fine, but don't feel like you can't talk about them, okay?"

"Okay," Quinn replied with a smile.

* * *

It was Friday evening and the two decided to spend the night in; they had gone out the previous night to a club Brody had invited them to. They had a lot of fun dancing and meeting several of his friends, but their spring break was starting to come to an end and they both wanted to spend the rest of the time together, just the two of them.

Rachel was fidgeting with a loose thread on the blanket Quinn had thrown over them and kept glancing at the blonde next to her. They were watching the first Harry Potter movie because Rachel wasn't the biggest fan of the movies and Quinn was determined to change that. Since they began dating, Rachel had learned that Quinn was actually a bit of a nerd. She had kept it very well hidden throughout high school, so Rachel was surprised by it, but thought it was adorable nonetheless.

She was trying to focus on the movie, but it was difficult with so much running through her mind. She was really trying not to think about it, but it wasn't working—all she could think about was being with Quinn. She really had no idea when her brain turned into that of a teenage boy. When the credits began rolling, she realized she had been zoned out for the last bit of the movie and immediately felt bad about it.

"So?" Quinn said, looking at her.

Rachel blushed as she stood up. "Sorry, I was trying to pay attention, but I was distracted."

Quinn laughed and Rachel was happy to see she wasn't annoyed with her. "Distracted by what?"

"Umm—" Rachel's blush grew, which only made Quinn's eyebrow rise, and the brunette buried her face in her hands. "Sex."

A small smirk appeared on Quinn face. "Sex?"

"Yes, okay," Rachel said with a sigh. "I don't understand why you—I'm not trying to pressure you, but I'm—" Rachel groaned and threw up her hands. "You said you were ready, you said you thought about it a lot, but every time anything starts to happen, you pull away, and I don't understand it. Did you change your mind? Because that's perfectly understandable and I will wait for as long as you want to wait. I just need you to tell me what you want because I'm going a little crazy here and according to some people, I'm already a little crazy to begin with, so that's really not good for anyone."

She took a deep breath waiting on the blonde to reply, but Quinn was just looking at her, so Rachel sighed and said, "Say something."

"It's been a while since I've heard one of your rants," Quinn said, her lips quirking up. "I kind of missed it, actually."

"Quinn!" Rachel said, stomping her foot.

Quinn laughed lightly, shaking her head. "I missed that, too."

Rachel opened her mouth, but Quinn stood up, cutting her off; she looked at the blonde questioningly until Quinn finally said, "I'm nervous, okay?"

"Okay," Rachel whispered.

"I'm nervous because I don't want to disappoint you," Quinn continued. "And I don't just mean about—_that_." Quinn sighed. "I've dated people before, but you're the first person I've loved and I'm so afraid I'm going to screw this up. I feel like if we sleep together and then I enviably mess things up, it'll make everything worse, and I'm—"

"No," Rachel said, reaching out, and putting her thumb on Quinn's lip before she could continue. "You're not going to screw this up—_we're _not going to screw this up. I'm not saying we will be together forever. I'm not that naïve girl that thought she was going to spend the rest of her life with her high school sweetheart. I know people break up—but I also know how in love with you I am, and whether we break up next week or spend the rest of our lives together, I will never regret any moment I've spent with you."

"Well, when you put it like that," Quinn said with a laugh as she wiped a few unshed tears from her eyes.

Rachel smiled softly and held out her hand; Quinn looked down at it and then back up to Rachel. Quinn took her hand, and with a smile and a nod from the blonde, Rachel led them to her room.

* * *

Rachel groggily opened her eyes and blinked a few times before looking over her shoulder. Quinn had her arm wrapped around Rachel's waist, one leg thrown over hers, and her face nuzzled into Rachel's hair. It was quite possibly the cutest thing Rachel had ever seen and definitely the best way she had ever woken up. Quinn was breathing deeply, so Rachel knew she was still asleep. She smiled and turned her head, resting it back on the pillow again.

She gave a contented sigh and put her hand over Quinn's, which was lying on Rachel's stomach. She really wanted to turn around and kiss Quinn, but she didn't want to wake her. The blonde looked so peaceful, which was something Rachel was still getting used to seeing; Quinn had so much happen to her throughout high school and it was nice to see her no longer struggling. Every now and then, Rachel could see the conflict in Quinn's eyes, but it was usually short-lived. She wondered what was going through Quinn's mind during those times, but she never asked; she knew Quinn would talk to her about it when she was ready.

"Hi," Quinn whispered.

"I thought you were still asleep," Quinn said, turning her head to the side to be able to see Quinn.

Quinn covered her mouth and yawned. "I was half asleep, but I felt you move and then I could practically hear you thinking."

"Sorry," Rachel said, laughing lightly.

"Don't be," Quinn said, giving her a sleepy smile.

Rachel turned, so she was facing Quinn, and rested her hand on the blonde's hip. "Are you okay?"

"I'm more than okay?" Quinn replied. "Are you okay?"

Rachel leaned forward and gave Quinn's lips a soft kiss. "I'm amazing, actually."

"No regrets?" Quinn asked with a hint of worry in her voice.

"I meant what I said last night," Rachel replied.

Quinn nodded and pulled Rachel closer, resting their foreheads together. "Good, because last night was the best night of my life—well, tied for the best. That night you first told me you love me is also up there."

"I think I would go with Halloween night simply because it is what started all of this," Rachel said with a smile.

"Yeah, go me," Quinn joked. "And it only took a few years for me to come to my sense and 'grow a pair' as Santana so eloquently put it."

"Well, I'm happy you did—metaphorically speaking," Rachel said, lightly laughing. "I must admit, if anyone told me last year that I would one day wake up next to Quinn Fabray, I would have thought they were crazy. I never thought this would ever be possible, but I'm glad I was wrong."

Quinn sighed. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" Rachel asked, furrowing her brows.

"It's my fault that it took us so long to get here," Quinn said. "If I had just stopped fighting myself and stopped being such a bitch—"

"No," Rachel said, cutting her off. "I'm not going to say you haven't made mistakes, but so have I. We're who we are now because of all those things; we know how special this is because it did take us so long to get here."

"What time did you say Kurt was going to be back?" Quinn asked.

"His plane is supposed to land a little after ten," Rachel replied. "Why do you ask?"

"I was just wondering if we had enough time," Quinn stated.

"Enough time?" Rachel asked.

Quinn leaned forward, bringing their lips together, and then pulled away, looking into Rachel's.

"Oh," Rachel said, smiling, "Enough time."

* * *

Rachel hated Sundays; she used to like them because she would look forward to the upcoming week, but now she associated them with Quinn leaving. Having nine days together was wonderful, but it just made the departure that much worse. She wished Quinn could move to the city, but she knew that wasn't plausible or practical. She just missed Quinn whenever she wasn't there and wished there was some way to fix their predicament.

"Two months," Quinn stated, squeezing her hand.

"Hmm?" Rachel asked, turning to look at Quinn.

"Two months until summer break," Quinn elaborated.

Rachel nodded and smiled to herself. Quinn never really said anything, but Rachel knew the blonde hated parting just as much as she did. She could see it in her eyes every time they were about to separate—just like the look in her eyes right now.

"Have you made any plans yet?" Quinn asked.

"Not yet," Rachel replied. "Kurt and I have talked about it a little; we're thinking about staying here since we have the apartment. He's also been talking about maybe taking a vacation, but he wasn't very specific as to where." Quinn hummed and Rachel glanced at her. "What about you? Any plans?"

"I don't know," Quinn said, shrugging. "I might spend the summer with my girlfriend if she wants me around."

Rachel laughed as Quinn gave her a smirk. "Of course I want you around—unless you're talking about some other girlfriend that I am unaware of."

"Maybe I am," Quinn joked.

"Seriously, though, if you want to spend the whole summer here, I have no objections," Rachel said, grabbing Quinn's hand, and pulling her to a stop. "Of course I would have to run it by Kurt, but even if he had a problem with it—well, I would just ignore him, wouldn't I."

"I really don't want you to get on that train," Rachel said, knowing it would be there at any moment.

"I don't want to get on that train, either," Quinn replied, putting her hand on Rachel's cheek. "But I have to."

"I know," Rachel replied with a sigh. "At least we'll see each other next weekend."

"That we will," Quinn said, leaning forward, and kissing her.

Rachel wrapped her arms around Quinn's neck just as the train approached. She didn't want to let go, but she knew she had to; Quinn needed to go back to New Haven and she had an early class, so waiting until the morning to leave was not an option. When she pulled away, she gave the blonde a sad smile, and moved her hands to Quinn's shoulders.

"You have to go," Rachel stated.

Quinn sighed. "I'll call you as soon as I'm in my dorm."

Rachel nodded and gave Quinn one last kiss before she turned around and entered the nearest train door. She watched Quinn walk through the train and take a seat next to one of the windows. Rachel stood there, looking at the blonde until the train started pulling away. She put on a smile and waved to Quinn, who waved back, and watched the train until it was out of sight.

"Five days," Rachel said to herself before turning to make her way back home.

* * *

**Easter is next, so that'll be up in a week.**

**Reviews are always welcome.**


	8. Revelations

**Thank you for the wonderful reviews. It's just something fun for me to work on every little bit, so I'm glad you guys are enjoying reading it.**

* * *

**Chapter 8 – Revelations**

Quinn looked out the window as the town went by; she hadn't been back in Lima since Christmas, but her mother had asked that she come back for Easter, so she agreed to come. Rachel's plane had gotten in that morning, and the moment Quinn's plane touched down and her phone was on, she sent her a text, letting the brunette know she would call as soon as she was home.

"Who are you talking to?" Judy asked, looking over at Quinn, who had been fiddling with her phone. "Anyone special?"

"I was just telling Rachel that I'm almost home," Quinn replied.

"Oh," Judy said, nodding. "Will she be coming over for dinner?"

"I don't know," Quinn said with a sigh. "We haven't really talked about what we're doing this weekend. I know a few of our friends want to meet sometime, but other than that, I'm not really sure."

"Well, let her know that if she wants to stay for dinner, she's more than welcome," Judy replied.

Quinn nodded. "I will."

Judy pulled into the driveway and Quinn looked at the house for a moment before getting out of the car. It was always a little weird coming back; even though she spent years of her life here, she felt out of place now. She didn't know why it felt so strange coming home, but then she realized that maybe it was because it didn't actually feel like home and never really did. She wouldn't exactly call her dorm room home, either; the place that came closest was Rachel's place—both her apartment in New York and her fathers' house—but she didn't know if that was because of the place or because of who lived there.

"Are you going to come inside?" Judy asked, watching her daughter.

"I'll be in in a moment," Quinn said, snapping out of her thoughts, and turning around to retrieve her bags.

She only had two small bags; she shouldered one and carried the other into the house, shutting the door behind her. Every time she came home, she expected things to be different, but they never were; the house looked just the same as it always had. She didn't know why she always expected things to be different; the house really hadn't changed any with the exception of the bit of redecorating Judy had done after the divorce was finalized. So much has changed in Quinn's life in the past few months and she guessed it just felt like the things around her should have changed as well.

Quinn headed straight for her room and deposited the bags on her bed before lying down. She wasn't a fan of flying, and though the flight was only a little over four hours, including a change of planes in Philadelphia, she was exhausted. The rest was short-lived, though, because she could already hear her mother's footsteps on the stairs.

"Are you hungry, Quinnie?" Judy asked, knocking lightly on her door.

"No," Quinn replied.

"Are you sure?" Judy asked, opening the door, and popping her head into the room. "I could make you a snack."

"I'm fine," Quinn said, trying to keep the annoyance out of her voice.

"Okay, I'll leave you to rest, then," Judy said, closing the door.

She knew her mother meant well, but every time she came home, she felt like she was being treated like a child again, not someone living on their own. From their conversations, though, she knew her mother missed her and that she didn't really like living alone in such a large house, so Quinn knew it was because of that and probably still a bit from the guilt of allowing her to be kicked out of the house.

It was only a few moments before the doorbell rang and Quinn sat up, wondering if Rachel had already managed to make it there. She hadn't said she was on her way, but knowing Rachel, she immediately jumped in her car the moment Quinn said she was almost home. Sure enough, Quinn heard her voice downstairs and she smiled at the sound. A few second later, she could hear Rachel running up the steps; the door flew open and she was left looking at a very happy brunette. Without saying a word, Rachel quickly took the few remaining steps to the bed and jumped on Quinn, hugging her.

Quinn laughed lightly. "Miss me?"

"So very much," Rachel mumbled into her neck.

"I was just about to take a nap," Quinn said, kissing Rachel's temple. "Want to join me."

"Sure," Rachel said, releasing Quinn, and throwing off her shoes.

Quinn laid down and scooted back on the bed, allowing enough room for Rachel to lie beside her. Rachel smiled at her before putting her head on the pillow; Quinn wrapped her arm around Rachel's waist and pulled her close, kissing her shoulder.

"I missed this," Quinn commented.

"Me too," Rachel replied.

"I'm going to have a hard time explaining this if my mother walks in, though," Quinn said with a laugh.

* * *

Quinn woke up sometime later and she looked at the clock on her nightstand to see that they had been asleep for nearly two hours. She rubbed her eyes and then looked down at Rachel and gently shook her. The brunette groaned a little before opening her eyes and turning her head to look at Quinn.

"How long have I been asleep?" Rachel asked.

"Way longer than I intended," Quinn replied.

Rachel's eyebrows furrowed together. "Do I smell food?"

"Probably," Quinn said, shrugging. "My mother loves cooking for people, so there is a good chance she's down there making dinner right now."

Rachel sat up and got off the bed. "I should go see if she needs any help."

"You don't have to do that," Quinn said.

"I know," Rachel replied. "But it's polite and I do want your mom to like me."

"She does like you," Quinn stated.

"I know, but—"

"You want to make a good impression for when she finds out we're together," Quinn interrupted.

Rachel nodded. "Exactly."

"You don't have to try so hard," Quinn said, walking over to Rachel, and putting her hand on the brunette's cheek.

"I just—" Rachel sighed. "I guess I'm hoping that if she likes me enough, she'll be okay with us."

"You don't have to worry about that," Quinn replied. "Just be yourself and she'll love you."

Rachel sighed. "Okay."

"Come on then," Quinn said, taking Rachel's hand.

Quinn led them out the room, down the stairs, and toward the kitchen where her mother was. Rachel let go of her hand the moment they were within eyesight of the older woman and Quinn felt a pang of sadness at the action. She hated that Rachel was worried about Judy so much and she hated that she was probably the one to make her feel like she had to worry about it. Quinn had no idea how her mother was going to take the news when she finally told her, but she was hopeful that it wouldn't be too bad of a reaction. Her father was the real bigot in the family, and while she didn't think her mother was going to be jumping for joy at the news, she didn't anticipate being completely rejected by her.

"There you two are," Judy said, looking over her shoulder.

"We slept a bit longer than I thought we would," Quinn said, walking up to the stove. "What are you making?"

"Well, I know you said that Rachel was vegan, so I'm trying out a new recipe," Judy replied.

Quinn was slightly surprised her mother remembered something like that. "Oh."

"Don't sound too surprised," Judy said, laughing lightly.

"Sorry," Quinn said, walking around the island to sit down next to Rachel.

"So, Rachel, how is school going for you?" Judy asked.

"It's going very well, thank you," Rachel replied. "I like this semester a lot better than the last."

"Oh?" Judy said. "Why is that?"

"I just had this dance teacher that didn't like me very much and tried to make my life extra difficult," Rachel replied.

Quinn snorted slightly and then covered her face in embarrassment. She couldn't help it, though; the difference between Rachel's explanation to her and to Judy was such a stark contrast, and it made her laugh. If she remembered correctly, the way she explained her dance teacher to Quinn was that she was a complete bitch that was actively trying to ruin her life.

"Is something funny?" Judy asked.

"No, sorry—I just—remembered something," Quinn lied.

"Anyway, it's been a busy semester, but I'm enjoying it," Rachel continued.

"That's good," Judy replied, smiling at her. "I'm glad you both like your classes. Quinn seems to be a lot happier this semester as well."

"Oh yeah?" Rachel asked, raising her eyebrow at Quinn, and ginning a bit.

"Do you need any help?" Quinn asked, trying to deflect anymore questions.

"No, it's almost ready," Judy replied.

"We'll set the table then," Quinn said, nudging Rachel, and grabbing the plates so she could escape the room.

* * *

"Quinn, Rachel, over here!" Tina said, holding her hand up.

Quinn and Rachel made their way across the restaurant, toward their friends. It was a new place that neither of them had been before, and they had both been thrilled when Blaine suggested it because it meant they wouldn't be subjected to eating at Breadstix.

"Hey, guys," Sam said, standing up, and giving them both a big hug.

"Hello, Sam," Rachel greeted back.

"I would stand and hug you, but you know," Artie joked.

Quinn laughed lightly, leaning down to give him a hug, and then stood up and gave one to Tina and Blaine. Once they had all greeted each other, Quinn and Rachel sat down next to each other, and Quinn picked up the menu to see what the place had to offer.

"I hope you weren't waiting long on us," Rachel commented.

"I just got here like two seconds before you did, so no worried," Sam replied.

"How are you guys doing?" Blaine asked over his menu. "I feel like I haven't talked to either of you in a while."

"I figured Kurt kept you informed about everything that has been going on," Rachel said, smiling at him.

"He usually does, although lately our conversations are mostly Kurt ranting about Santana," Blaine said with a laugh.

"He does that a lot," Rachel said, nodding. "I am very well; I've been working hard at school and then most weekends I either try to visit Quinn or she tries to come to the city, so I stay fairly busy."

"What she said," Quinn replied, nodding toward the brunette.

Tina's brows furrowed together. "You two visit each other every weekend?"

"When we can," Rachel said, shrugging. "Sometimes Quinn will have an exam that she needs to study for or a paper she needs to work on."

"When did you two become such good friends?" Sam asked, looking a little confused. "When we were dating, I got the feeling you didn't like Rachel very much."

"Things change," Quinn stated, trying not to blush. "And it was more complicated than that."

"Yeah," Rachel replied. "Quinn and I have been friends for a while."

"We—" Quinn stopped and glanced at Rachel before leaning over to whisper in her ear. "Do you think we should tell them?"

Rachel turned to look at her. "Are you sure? I mean, yes, if you want to. I'm completely okay with it if you're okay."

"What are you two whispering about?" Artie asked, looking at them suspiciously.

Quinn cleared her throat. "Rachel and I are—we're dating."

Sam burst out laughing, but stopped when he looked at Rachel. "Wait—like seriously? No way."

"You two are dating each other?" Tina clarified.

"We are," Rachel said with a nod and a smile.

"No way," Sam repeated.

"It's true," Blaine interjected. "And it's actually not that crazy if you really think about it."

"Dude, you knew about them?" Sam asked. "That's totally big news; you should have told us."

"Of course I knew," Blaine replied. It wasn't my place to tell anyone else, though."

"Okay, how did this happen?" Artie asked, holding up his hand.

Rachel shrugged. "We just—"

"Fell in love," Quinn finished.

"Hey, guys!" Brittany said, walking up to the table. "What's going on?"

"We were just discussing how these two somehow fell in love when we all thought they could barely stand each other," Artie replied.

"Oh yeah, they're totally cute together," Brittany replied. "Even San said that—but she told me not to tell anyone she said that, so forget I said it."

"Who else knows?" Tina asked.

"Other than you guys, just Kurt and Santana," Rachel replied.

"And Puck," Quinn added.

"Oh yeah," Rachel said. "He accidently walked in on us kissing."

"I can't believe he didn't say anything," Artie said, shaking his head. "He walks in on you two—I can't believe he didn't put it all over Facebook."

"I do believe he is a little more respectful than that," Rachel replied.

"Barely," Quinn said, laughing.

"Well, I can't say I'm not shocked, but I'm happy for you guys," Tina said, smiling at them. "You both deserve to be happy."

"And we are," Quinn said, putting her hand on Rachel's.

Sam shook his head. "That's so weird to see."

Quinn laughed and pushed Sam's shoulder. "It's not that weird."

"Don't I remember you telling me once that you had to find a way to torture her?" Sam asked. "Wait—did you like her when you were with me?" Quinn blushed and Sam's mouth dropped open. "You didn't date me because I have girl lips or something did you?" Everyone at the table laughed and Sam ducked his head. "Don't answer that."

"No, Sam," Quinn said, patting his back. "You were a nice guy, and I was hoping I could feel something for you, because if I couldn't like you, what guy could I like? I think it was then that I really started questioning things."

"So what you're saying is that he turned you gay?" Artie replied.

"Dude, that is not cool," Sam said, turning red.

Artie laughed. "I'm just kidding."

"Is everyone from your party finally here?" the waiter came up and asked.

"We're all here," Blaine replied.

"Can I get your drink orders, then," he asked.

"Please," Sam said, still a bit red. "Anything to get me out of this conversation."

* * *

"Hi, honey," Judy said, putting the spoon down, and turning around to look at Quinn.

"Did you have fun with your friends?"

"Yeah," Quinn said, nodding.

"You must have," Judy said with a smile. "You went to lunch with them and it's now almost seven."

"We were at the restaurant way too long, so we left before they decided to kick us out for being too loud," Quinn replied, laughing. "After we left, we all decided to go to Rachel's because no one really wanted it to end."

"I'm glad you had fun," Judy commented. "You're so much happier than I've ever seen you and—it's nice. It's all I've ever wanted for you." Judy cleared her throat. "So, what were you all talking so much about?"

"Glee came up a lot," Quinn said, laughing. "And everyone was interested in what Rachel and I have been doing." Quinn shrugged. "That was mostly it."

"So—what _do_ you do while you're at school?" Judy asked. "All you ever really talk about are classes, but I know you have to do more than attend class and study. What happened to those friends you mentioned last semester? You don't really talk about them anymore."

"We're still friends, but I don't really have the time to see them on weekends like I used to," Quinn said, shrugging.

"And who's taking up all that time?" Judy asked, smiling at her.

Quinn sighed; she knew this was coming. Her mother had been far too interested in what she had been doing lately and it was only a matter of time before she finally asked if she was dating someone. The woman had always been far too interested in her social life, but Quinn suspected that was because her mother really didn't have one of her own anymore and she was trying to live vicariously through her daughter.

Quinn cleared her throat. "Rachel. She comes to Yale a lot or other weekends I'll go to New York.

"So there's no one special in your life?" Judy asked.

And there it was; she was actually surprised her mother had been this restrained. When she was home for Christmas, it was one of the first things she had asked about, but Quinn had expertly dodged the question.

"There—is," Quinn hesitantly answered.

She was starting to feel that weird sensation in her stomach that she always felt every time she had to do this. She really thought it would get easier over time, but every time she told someone about Rachel, she had that moment of complete panic. The only time she didn't really feel it was earlier in the day when she told her friends. She knew they would be surprised simply because it was her and Rachel, but she knew they would be supportive just as they were with Kurt and Blaine and Santana and Brittany. This was her mother, though, which was as scary as when she decided to tell Rachel.

"Are you okay?" Judy asked, putting her hand to Quinn's forehead. "You look really pale."

"Not really, but I need to do this," Quinn said, walking to the nearest chair because she felt like her legs were going to give way. "Mom, I'm dating Rachel."

Judy smiled. "I know, dear."

"What?" Quinn asked, wondering if she heard her correctly.

"I've had my suspicions for a while, but I didn't say anything because I was hoping you would tell me," Judy replied. "And don't look so shocked; you are my daughter and I know you better than you think."

"How did you know?" Quinn asked in complete shock.

"You've been so different lately and the only thing in your life that had really changed was that girl," Judy said. "And when I thought about it, it explained your behavior last year. You were so set on stopping her from marrying that ex-boyfriend of yours; at first I thought it had to do with him, but all you talked about was her. I know you said it was because you were her friend and you didn't want her ruining her life, but it was beyond that. Most friends wouldn't go so far out of their way to the point of ruining their friendship just to stop them from making a mistake. Plus, I saw you kiss her goodbye one day."

Quinn shook her head as she put it in her hands.

"Sorry, Quinnie, but you're not nearly as good at hiding things as you think you are," Judy said, patting her daughter's back.

* * *

Quinn nervously tapped her fingers against the table as she watched Rachel through the window, her car having just pulled up. Judy was looking at her with an amused expression on her face and Quinn huffed. She didn't know if her mother was doing this just to torture her, but it definitely felt like it. She had insisted on Rachel having breakfast with them before they attended church service. It was a tradition for them; they would always eat breakfast out on Easter Sunday before going to church. The rest of the year, Russell would insist on Judy making breakfast for him, but Easter was the one time they went to a restaurant for breakfast. Things had changed since the divorce, but the two did keep the tradition alive, and this was the first time someone else would be joining them.

As Judy put it, she wanted to properly get to know the young lady her daughter was dating. Quinn had reminded her that she knew Rachel, but Judy had told her she wanted to officially meet her daughter's girlfriend, not the girl that was her daughter's friend. It didn't make much sense to Quinn, but she figured her mother was being so great about it all, so it was the least she could do.

When she called Rachel to ask her, the brunette had been surprised, then concerned, then upset that Quinn hadn't told her she was thinking about telling Judy, and finally happy that she had taken the news so well. She immediately agreed to go to breakfast with them, thrilled that Judy was okay with their relationship and not angry with her for 'turning her daughter gay' as Rachel had jokingly put it.

The moment she saw Rachel's face, she could tell she was also nervous, and it made her feel a little bit bitter; at least she wasn't alone in this. As soon as the brunette walked into the restaurant, though, she had her game face on. Rachel smiled at her and gave her a little wave as soon as they locked eyes; Quinn smiled softly back and slid over so Rachel could take her seat.

"Hello, Quinn, Ms. Fabray," Rachel said, nodding to the older woman.

"You're still allowed to call me Judy," she said with a light laugh.

Rachel smiled. "Sorry."

Quinn put her hand on Rachel's thigh and gave it a gentle squeeze, hoping it would help the brunette relax a little. Rachel gave her a grateful smile and nudged their shoulders together. She would have given Rachel a kiss, but she felt a little weird about it with Judy watching them so closely.

"Two waters and an orange juice," their waitress said, stopping by their table.

"I ordered you water," Quinn leaned toward Rachel and whispered. "I hope that's okay."

"Of course," Rachel replied. "You know that's what I always order."

"Are you ready to order or would you like more time to look over the menu?" the waitress asked.

"We need more time," Quinn answered.

The waitress nodded, leaving the three alone again, and Quinn glanced at Rachel, wondering if this was as awkward for her as it was for Quinn. It was like this when her parents met Finn and again when her mother had met Sam, but this time felt even worse, but she knew it could very well be in her imagination.

"So, how did you two ever start dating?" Judy asked. "I know how stubborn Quinn can be."

Rachel laughed as Quinn scowled. "She can be, but that also means when she's determined to do something, she goes for it."

"She said you two have officially been together for three months," Judy commented.

Rachel nodded. "Unofficially for about five months, though."

"So since around Halloween?" Judy asked.

"Halloween exactly," Quinn said.

"So that's why you really came home that weekend?" Judy asked, smiling at Quinn.

Quinn felt herself blushing. "Maybe."

"Well, dear, I'm proud of you," Judy said, looking at her daughter. "You finally found one that's pretty and smart. I think she's a keeper."

Quinn looked at Rachel and smiled softly. "I know she is."

* * *

**I have no idea what the next holiday will be…Memorial Day? That's a bit far away, though, so I might find something between now and then. Maybe I'll write something for Earth Day.**

**Reviews are always welcome.**


	9. My Favorite Place on Earth

**Chapter 9 – My Favorite Place on Earth**

Rachel was excited; not only did she have the whole weekend free, but so did Quinn, so she was on her way to New Haven for the weekend. It had been three weeks since they were in the same city together—Easter, when they were in Lima—and Rachel was eager to see her. They had talked over Skype nearly every day, but it wasn't enough. She wanted to be able to wrap her arms around her girlfriend.

"Hey," she heard Quinn call the moment she stepped off the train.

Rachel looked to her left and smiled. "Hello."

Rachel walked over to her girlfriend; Quinn's arms immediately wrapped around her and their lips met. She stood on her tippy toes, eagerly returning the kiss, and hands found Quinn's cheeks. Someone jostled her as they ran by and Rachel pulled away, remembering that they were in the middle of a fairly crowded train station.

"I missed you," Rachel said, pulling Quinn into a hug.

Quinn laughed and kissed the side of her head. "I couldn't tell."

"Classes have really been getting in the way of us spending time together," Rachel said, pouting.

"Maybe we should both drop out," Quinn joked.

"I know you're joking about that, but sometimes it doesn't sound like a bad idea," Rachel commented.

Quinn hummed. "I take it your teacher is still trying to ruin your life."

"I'm fairly certain at this point that it is her mission in life," Rachel replied.

"Well, try not to think about that this weekend," Quinn said, trying to grab Rachel's bag for her.

"I got it," Rachel said, gently slapping her hand away, and grabbing the bag she'd dropped on the ground.

"You're my guest and I'm perfectly capable of carrying a bag for you," Quinn protested.

"Yes, and I am also perfectly capable of doing it myself," Rachel argued.

Quinn sighed. "Fine."

Rachel took Quinn's hand, hoping to pacify her. "So, what are your plans for this weekend?"

"There's this thing tonight and a couple of my friends were asking if we wanted to come," Quinn replied as they made their way out of the train station. "I told them I would have to see what you wanted to do, though."

"Anything is fine," Rachel said, shrugging. "And you know I would very much like to meet your friends."

"Yeah," Quinn said, sounding distracted.

"Quinn?" Rachel said, looking at her girlfriend.

"What?" the blonde asked, turning to look at her.

"Is there a reason you don't want me to meet your friends?" Rachel asked. "I mean, if they don't know about us—I can pretend to just be your friend if that's what you want."

She really didn't want to have to do that, but she would do it for Quinn; if she wasn't ready to come out to her Yale friends, she wasn't going to force her out. She knew from the beginning that being with Quinn was going to require patience sometimes, but she had actually been amazing so far. If she needed time now, though, she was going to give it to her.

"No," Quinn immediately replied, shaking her head. "It's not that; some of them have known about us before you and I actually happened."

"Then what is it?" Rachel asked, having no idea now.

"I don't really know, okay?" Quinn answered. "I just—I'm being selfish. I know once my friends meet you're, they're going to want us all to hang out whenever you're here, and I like having these weekends to ourselves. I like it just being us. I only get to see you for forty-eight hours a week if we're lucky enough to have the weekend free to be able to see each other."

Rachel shook her head. "What makes you think that's going to happen? I'm not exactly known for my ability to make friends."

"They're going to love you," Quinn stated.

"You don't know that," Rachel replied.

"Yes, I do," Quinn said, smiling at her.

"How do you know?" Rachel asked.

"Because they're smart, which means they're intelligent enough to see how amazing you are," Quinn replied.

"Are you saying everyone in high school was stupid?" Rachel asked, laughing.

"Exactly," Quinn said, also laughing. "Okay, to be serious—they're all ambitious, which is something the people in Lima were lacking. They're all at Yale because they did what it took to get there. I feel like most people in Lima resented you because they knew you would get out and they wouldn't—you were ambitious enough to try, whereas everyone else resigned themselves to being stuck in that town. My friends won't dislike you for it; you'll fit right in with them because you're just like them."

Rachel nodded. "So, we're doing something with your friends tonight."

"I guess we are," Quinn said with a smile.

* * *

"Are we almost there?" Rachel asked.

"Almost," Quinn replied.

They had been driving for an hour and Quinn still hadn't said where they were going. All she knew was that they were going north, they were still in Connecticut, and Quinn promised that she would enjoy it. She didn't doubt it considering she quite enjoyed most things as long as she was with her girlfriend, but she would still like to know where they were headed.

"Is that—are we going there?" Rachel asked, pointing just up the road.

Quinn smiled. "We are."

Rachel squealed and threw her arms around Quinn's neck, which made the car swerve a little. Quinn laughed, patting her arm, and Rachel sat back in her seat.

"Sorry," Rachel apologized. "I'm just excited."

"I thought you might be," Quinn said, pulling them into the entrance of the drive-in theater.

Rachel was a little surprised she remembered, but she didn't know why; Quinn always seemed to remember everything she said, even if it was something that wasn't all that significant. One night they watched Twister on television and during the movie she mentioned how she had never been to a drive-in, but always wanted to experience it.

"You'll have to thank Jen," Quinn said to Rachel as they waited in line to pay. "She found this place online. They were thinking about going to this art show tonight, but I asked if they wanted to come here, because I knew you would enjoy it more."

"But they shouldn't miss the art show because of me," Rachel said, frowning.

"They're going tomorrow night, instead," Quinn replied. "They knew I already had plans for tomorrow and they wanted to meet you, so they were completely okay with changing things around a little."

"I'm so excited," Rachel said, clapping her hands together.

"Can you check my phone and see if they texted where they're parked?" Quinn asked.

Rachel reached over and grabbed Quinn's phone out of her purse. "You have a message saying they are to the right of the concession building."

Quinn nodded and pulled down one of the gravel lanes, driving them toward the middle of the lot. As soon as they passed the building, she slowed the car and pulled into the space between a small black car and a dark green SUV. The next thing Rachel knew, someone was knocking on her window, so she rolled it down.

"About time you guys got here," the blonde guy said, peering inside. "Hi, I'm James."

"Rachel," she said, extending her hand to shake his.

"We were beginning to think you were a figment of Quinn's imagination," a redheaded girl said as she knocked the guy out of the way.

"Can we at least get out of the car before you start questioning my sanity," Quinn said, raising her eyebrow at her friends.

James opened Rachel's door and she gave him a smile as she stepped out. She could hear Quinn huff and get out of the driver's side, which only made her smile more. Clearly this was a common occurrence.

"Since Quinn has no manners, I'm Jen," the redhead said with a wave. "The brunette over there is Madison and the other is Tonya."

"Nice to meet you all," Rachel said, looking around.

"You mean she's real?" Tonya said, turning to Quinn.

"We've heard a lot about you," Madison said, smiling at her.

"I've—heard absolutely nothing about you guys," Rachel said honestly.

"That makes us feel real special," Jen said, staring at Quinn.

"Leave her alone," Madison said, tapping the other girl's arm.

Tonya smirked in a way that reminded Rachel of Santana, but she didn't say anything else. James walked forward, putting his arm around Rachel's shoulders.

"You'll learn to ignore them," he said.

"I thought you guys promised you would behave yourselves," Quinn reminded them.

"We are," James said, smiling at her.

"Right," Quinn replied before putting her hand out for Rachel. "Can you help me?"

"Okay," Rachel said, taking the blonde's hand. "Where are we going?"

"You'll see," Quinn replied.

Rachel remained silent as Quinn led her toward the small building in the middle of the parking lot. Quinn opened the squeaky door for her, allowing her to go inside first, and Rachel looked around.

"What am I helping with?" Rachel asked.

"Getting me away from my friends," Quinn replied. "And you can help me carry stuff back."

Rachel laughed. "They're not that bad."

"They'll get worse," Quinn promised. "They're actually not this bad normally, but anytime there's someone new around, some of them decide to be annoying. You'll just have to ignore them—especially Tonya; she's a lot like Santana, but not quite as invasive."

"You mean she isn't going to go through everything I own?" Rachel said, rolling her eyes at the memory.

Quinn laughed. "No."

Quinn gave her order—a Diet Coke and slice of pizza for herself, a bottle of water and Twizzlers for Rachel—and once they had their food, they walked back to the car. James was setting up two foldup chairs in front of his SUV and Rachel noticed that there was a blanket in front of the other car.

"Are we sitting inside the car?" she asked.

"We can or I brought a blanket in case you wanted to sit outside," Quinn replied.

Rachel smiled. "That sounds nice."

"I'll get it," Quinn said as she set her food and drink on the hood of the car.

"You needed help with that?" Tonya asked.

Quinn rolled her eyes as she walked by and Rachel laughed as she said, "In her defense, I do usually want more than this when we go to a movie."

Quinn walked back over with the blanket and spread it on the ground; she sat down and patted the spot next to her as she looked at Rachel. The brunette grabbed Quinn's food from the hood of the car and handing it to Quinn before joining her on the blanket.

"There's a cooler in the back of the car," Quinn said, taking a drink of soda. "I knew they wouldn't have anything remotely vegan here, so I brought some things for you."

"That's very sweet," Rachel said, leaning forward, and giving her girlfriend's cheek a kiss. "Thank you."

"How long until the first movie starts?" James asked.

"An hour," Jen replied.

"Why are we here so early, then?" James asked.

"Because we wanted to get good spots," Quinn replied.

James sighed and walked over, sitting down with Quinn and Rachel. "So, why don't you tell us about yourself?"

Tonya scoffed. "Hasn't Quinn told us everything, right down to what shampoo she uses?"

"That's an exaggeration," Madison replied.

"Fine, why don't you tell us about that Glee club you and Quinn were in," James suggested. "Quinn refuses to tell us about it."

Rachel smiled softly at her girlfriend. "Glee is the best thing that has happened in my life—it's how I got to know Quinn."

* * *

It turned out that Rachel quite liked Quinn's friends once she got to know them a little better and despite her fear, they seemed to also like her. She had learned that James was quite nerdy when it came to a lot of things and also very gay; Tonya was indeed much like Santana, but not caustic; Jen seemed very outgoing and was very interested in musical theater, so they hit it off quite well, talking about the Broadway shows they had seen; Madison was a little more of a mystery and seemed very shy, but nice. They were an eclectic group of people and Rachel was happy to see that Quinn had made such good friends.

It made her feel a little guilty, though. She knew Quinn didn't hang out with them very much anymore because she was usually with Rachel, and it made her feel bad that she was keeping her away from them. Quinn insisted that she shouldn't feel bad about it, but Rachel was going to make it a point to include Quinn's friends more whenever she came to visit or maybe she would even invite them all to come to the city sometime. It was just nice being around a group of friends like that again; it was something she had sorely missed since graduating from high school. It was nice having Kurt around—and Santana if she was being truthful—but she did get lonely sometimes since she had only made a few friends at NYADA.

"What are you thinking about?" Quinn asked.

"How much I don't want to leave," Rachel replied.

Quinn smiled. "You say that every time."

"It's true every time," Rachel replied.

Quinn rolled to her side so she was facing her. "Three more weeks and we'll have the whole summer free."

"Except for work," Rachel reminded her.

"Except for work," Quinn repeated.

"Is Judy still coming for Mother's Day?" Rachel wondered.

Quinn nodded. "As far as I know; she said she would let me know if her plans changed, but she hasn't said anything yet."

They agreed that it would be a nice treat for Ms. Fabray. She had never been to New York City before, and since Quinn was planning on moving there as soon as school ended, they all agreed it would be the best thing to do. Quinn would have time to get settled without needing to travel to Lima for the holiday and Judy would get a small vacation.

Plus, it was the first time Rachel would get to celebrate Mother's Day. She had long passed the stage where she dreamed of having a mother to celebrate the day with, but it would still be nice. Rachel had originally planned on allowing Quinn and Judy to be alone that day, but Quinn had scoffed at the idea, saying that she would do no such thing and that she might be her mother one day as well. Quinn had quickly stuttered and blushed when she said the latter part, but it made Rachel happy to know that Quinn thought about their future and obviously saw her in it.

"Is your plan to lie here all day?" Quinn asked.

"Not _all_ day," Rachel replied.

Quinn laughed and laid back down on her back, picking up the book between them and flipping it open.

It was a tradition she and her fathers had; every Earth Day—or the weekend before if the actual day wasn't feasible—they would go to a park and just do nothing but enjoy nature. Most people found it strange, but it was a good way to step away from their busy lives and enjoy the simple things.

The tradition was started when she was four years old; at the time she wanted to bake a cake and take it to the park to give to nature because she thought it was the Earth's birthday. Her fathers ended up doing it, thus starting the tradition. It had been a long time since she brought a cake with her, but they still usually spent the afternoon in a park. She had expected Quinn to laugh when she told her the story, but she had just shrugged and asked which park she wanted to go to.

She loved that about Quinn—she didn't make her feel bad about her quirks like past boyfriends had. She never would have dreamed of telling Finn some of the things she had already told Quinn, even though she was engaged to him and had only been with Quinn for around four months. She didn't realize it at the time, but being with Finn wasn't healthy for either of them; they always tried to change each other and everything about their relationship was a struggle. She had no ill feelings towards him—they just weren't meant to be—and remember their relationship actually made her appreciate Quinn all the more.

"What are you thinking about now?" Quinn asked.

Rachel cleared her throat. "Finn."

Quinn dropped the book on her chest. "Excuse me?"

"I don't mean that in the way it sounds," Rachel replied. "I was just thinking how I would never have done this with him and how I can be honest with you. You know me better than anyone else ever has, even my fathers. I'm not afraid to show you every part of myself, and I love that about being with you."

Quinn smiled and leaned over, kissing Rachel's lips. "That's very sweet, but next time can you say something other than _his_ name, so you don't nearly give your girlfriend a panic attack."

Rachel laughed lightly. "I'm sorry."

"I'll be back," Quinn said, looking around. "I'm going to go find a restroom."

Rachel gave her a smile as she stood and watched as she walked toward the street. Once she could no longer see Quinn she looked down to see what her girlfriend had been reading, but it was just a small literature textbook. Rachel flipped through it, but didn't really recognize anything in it. She wasn't much of reader since she usually spent most of her time focusing on preparing for her future career on Broadway, and that didn't require knowing Kafka or Poe. As she flipped through the book, though, she got distracted by a poem and found herself reading it.

"Goblin Market, huh?" Quinn asked, making Rachel jump.

"I—" Rachel looked up. "What's that?"

Quinn opened the small box in her hands and pulled out a cupcake. "There's a bakery just over there. I thought it would be nice to have a cupcake for today. You know—in celebration."

"You're amazing," Rachel said, smiling, and shaking her head.

"I'm really not," Quinn replied as she sat down. "I just love you and want to see you smile."

Rachel smiled even wider and leaned over, giving Quinn a kiss. "Well, you do an amazing job at it."

Quinn smiled back and Rachel gave her the book, making a mental note to ask Quinn to bring it the next time she came to New York, so she could read the rest. They both settled back on the blanket and Rachel took the blonde's wrist, extending her arm so she could lay her head on it. Quinn smiled at her, kissing her forehead, and Rachel closed her eyes, committing everything about this moment to memory.

* * *

**Mother's Day will probably be next.**

**Reviews are always appreciated.**


	10. The Greatest Gift

**For once, I'm dedicating a chapter to someone. I'm dedicating this to my mom, who passed away 5 years ago from cancer. She was the best mom a person could ask for and I miss her every day. **

**Tana: You were right; I completely forgot I wrote that. It's what happens when you're working on so many stories at once. **

**skittles84: I have absolutely no idea…**

* * *

**Chapter 10 – The Greatest Gift**

Quinn watched in amusement as Rachel scrubbed at a spot on the table and then frowned when it still didn't come off. She had been working on trying to remove it for the past ten minutes, but nothing was taking it away. She didn't seem to be giving up, though.

"Rachel," Quinn said, stilling her hand. "It's fine."

"Why won't this spot scrub off!" Rachel said, sounding exasperated.

"Sweetie, you need to calm down," Kurt said as he opened the refrigerator.

Rachel huffed. "I am not un-calm."

Kurt's eyebrow rose. "Then why are you using words like 'un-calm'?"

"Rachel, it's only my mother," Quinn said, taking the sponge and bottle out of Rachel's hands.

"I know," Rachel replied.

She had been furiously cleaning for the past few days, trying to—as Rachel had said several times—make the apartment as presentable as she could for Judy's arrival. Quinn had moved all of her stuff in on Friday, leaving New Haven as soon as she was done with her last final, which had put Rachel behind since she was trying to help her unpack even though Quinn had insisted she could do it herself, but her girlfriend was stubborn and didn't listen. Luckily, Quinn didn't have a lot of stuff since she normally lived in a modestly sized dorm room, which was good since she and Rachel were sharing the brunette's room.

Quinn almost couldn't believe that they were going to have the whole summer together. She had a summer job lined up at a small coffee shop just down the street from the apartment, while Rachel had one of the lead roles in a student film that a friend of a friend was directing. As Rachel had said, it wasn't Broadway, but it was something to do over the summer that would give her some experience with acting. Plus, Rachel said the script was amazing and she was hoping it could lead to something bigger.

"Relax," Quinn said, kissing Rachel's cheek.

"I just want the place to be presentable," Rachel replied.

"It already is," Quinn said, looking around. "It's more than presentable—it's the most presentable apartment ever."

"You're mocking me," Rachel said, narrowing her eyes.

Quinn laughed lightly. "A little, yes, but the apartment is spotless, so don't worry so much, okay? Even if it wasn't, my mom wouldn't care."

"I just want the place to look nice for her," Rachel said, wrapping her arms around Quinn's neck. "I know how hard she works and I want her to be able to relax while she's here."

"Which is very sweet, but my mom is much less high maintenance than her past would suggest," Quinn said, giving Rachel a quick kiss. "Everything is fine."

Rachel sighed and looked away. "I still think we should have picked her up from the airport."

"I know, but she can be very stubborn sometimes," Quinn commented.

Rachel smiled. "So that's where you get it from."

"Ha ha," Quinn replied.

They both turned their heads when there was a knock at the door and Rachel whispered, "That's her."

"Right on time," Quinn said, gently removing Rachel's arms from her shoulders, so she could go get the door.

"I've got it," Kurt said as he breezed past them.

Quinn took Rachel's hand and followed Kurt, pulling her along. Kurt slid the door open and Judy was on the other side with her suitcase next to her and a small bag in her hands.

"Hello, Ms. Fabray," Kurt greeted, reaching out for her luggage.

"Call me Judy," she said, smiling at him before turning to Quinn and Rachel. "Hello, dear."

"Hi, mom," Quinn said, walking up to the older woman, and giving her hug.

"You too, Rachel," Judy said, holding out her other arm.

"Hello," Rachel said, receiving a hug. "How was your flight?"

"Not too bad," Judy said as she pulled away and smiled at them. "I talked to a nice man at the airport and we've agreed to have drinks when we both get back."

Quinn's eyebrows shot up; this was the first time her mother had ever mentioned another man, but it had been a while since she and Russell had split. Still, though, the thought of Judy dating was a little weird for Quinn, but she knew it would happen eventually.

"Well, if you need any help picking out an outfit, let me know," Kurt said. "In fact, we could do some shopping while you're here. We can get you something that will completely wow him."

Judy laughed. "I would like that, actually. My wardrobe could use the update and I know I would be in excellent hands."

"Please don't inflate his ego," Quinn said, turning, and walking toward the living room.

"Would you like anything to drink?" Rachel asked.

"No, thank you," Judy said, looking around as she followed Quinn. "Your place is lovely. Very spacious."

"Yeah," Rachel agreed. "I only wish we had walls sometimes."

Quinn snorted at the understatement; half of Rachel's complaints were about how the loft didn't have walls. It was usually because Santana had walked into her room unannounced or was being loud at night while Rachel was trying to sleep. Quinn wasn't used to how easily sound travelled through the apartment, which was a little awkward when she and Rachel were being intimate. Luckily, Santana wanted to walk in on them having sex about as much as they wanted her to, so they had made a rule that if there was a green ribbon pinned to the curtain, she needed to stay out.

"Are you hungry?" Quinn asked. "We were thinking of ordering a pizza."

"That would be wonderful, actually," Judy said, taking a seat.

"I'll order it right now," Kurt said, grabbing his phone from the table, and walking toward the kitchen.

"Wait, Kurt," Rachel said, following him.

Quinn smiled softly as she watched her girlfriend run after Kurt; when she looked at her mom again, the woman was staring at her—studying her.

"What?" she asked, feeling self-conscious.

"I've just never see you so happy," Judy stated.

"You only have Rachel to thank," Quinn replied.

"I know." Judy smiled as she looked toward the brunette. "You're lucky you found someone like her, Quinnie."

Quinn laughed lightly. "I know."

"What did I miss?" Rachel asked as she walked over.

"Nothing," Quinn said, smiling up at her.

* * *

"You were right," Judy said after taking her first bite of food. "This place is wonderful."

Rachel smiled. "I'm glad you think so."

Quinn smiled as well; she knew her mother would never complain about the restaurant, but she also wouldn't praise it if she didn't mean it, which meant she actually was enjoying her food. Rachel and Quinn had debated about where to take her on her first night in the city and ultimately decided on a nearby place that offered a wide variety of vegetarian and vegan food. Quinn hadn't quite made it to only eating a vegan diet and didn't know if she would ever, but had forgone any meat for quite some time now. It was actually easier than she thought; it was easier than any of the diets Sue ever had them on.

Tomorrow they were going to take Judy wherever she desired since it was Mother's Day. Rachel was beyond excited, which Quinn found adorable. Quinn had never thought of Mother's Day as being that big of a deal—she usually just bought Judy something nice and the family would eat at a fancy restaurant—but she guessed it would be if you never got to celebrate it.

"It's alright," Santana said with a shrug.

Quinn rolled her eyes; she knew Santana loved this place, but she'd never admit it because that would mean agreeing with Judy. "Uh huh."

"What?" Santana asked.

"I thought you loved it here," Rachel said, furrowing her brows.

"I never said that," Santana lied.

"Yes you did," Rachel argued.

"Just last week you said you would marry this place if it was legal to marry property," Kurt added.

Santana grumbled and went back to devouring her food now that the pretense was up. Quinn shook her head, wondering if Santana was ever going to forgive Judy for letting Russell kick her out. Luckily they were rarely in the same room, but it would be nice if her friend and her mother got along. Not that Judy really had anything against Santana, or at least not anymore. She used to say that Santana was a bad influence, but Quinn thought that had more to do with her father's opinion of the girl, and Judy was just following his example.

"What're we doing tomorrow?" Santana asked through a mouthful of food.

"_We're_ not doing anything," Quinn said. "Rachel, my mom, and I are going sightseeing."

They were also taking Judy to her first Broadway show—at Rachel's insistence, of course—but that was going to be a surprise. Her mother had a large collection of old musicals, so she thought it was something the older woman would enjoy.

"I can't come?" Santana asked, scowling.

"Quinn wants to spend time with her mother," Kurt said.

"Rachel's going," Santana pointed out.

"Rachel's my girlfriend," Quinn replied.

"And I'm your best friend," Santana said, leaning back, and crossing her arms.

"She can go with us," Judy chimed in.

Santana smirked triumphantly and Quinn rolled her eyes. "Fine, but you've already seen everything, so don't whine to me when you're bored."

"Whatever," Santana replied.

Judy laughed. "You can come too, Kurt, if you would like."

"I might do just that," Kurt replied, taking a sip of water. "I always liked Mother's Day. I would usually make my mom a card and pick flowers from the backyard; they were usually dandelions, but I thought they were pretty."

"I'm sure she loved them," Judy said, giving him a sad smile.

* * *

"I am so tired," Rachel said, throwing off her shoes as she walked into the apartment.

Quinn shook her head. "I told you to wear different shoes."

Rachel sighed. "But they go so well with this dress."

"Yes, but they also hurt your feet," Quinn said, smiling at her.

Rachel frowned at the shoes. "Remind me to donate them."

"You could always give them to Santana," Quinn said, smirking.

"Give me what?" Santana asked as she walked by.

"Nothing," Rachel said, laughing.

"Would anyone like some coffee or tea?" Kurt asked, breezing by them. "Judy?"

"Tea would wonderful," Judy said as they all made their way to the living room.

It had been a very long day; they took Judy to all the usual tourist spots before taking her to dinner. After dinner, they surprised her by taking her to see Wicked. They only had the three tickets, though, so Kurt and Santana decided to go to some place that Kurt heard was going to have a band playing. Quinn had no idea what they actually did, but when they met up with them, Kurt seemed very disgruntled, so it was no telling what Santana had done, and neither of them were talking about it.

Quinn sat down and let out a sigh of relief; it had been a very long day and she was happy to finally sit down. Despite Rachel's shoes, she had insisted on hitting every single spot on their list. She had been concerned about whether or not Quinn was okay, but even though Quinn was tired, she never said anything. She didn't like to think about the accident and would deny it if anyone asked, but even though it had been over a year, she still felt the effects of it sometimes. Usually everything was okay, but on days like this, she would get tired a lot easier than before the car wreck.

"Are you okay, Quinn?"

The blonde looked up to find her girlfriend's worried eyes on her. "I'm just tired."

"I pushed you too hard," Rachel said, frowning. "I knew we did too much today."

"I'm fine, Rachel," Quinn stated. "I might be a little sore tomorrow. Don't worry, okay?"

"I'm your girlfriend, it's my job to worry about you," Rachel replied. "Especially when your girlfriend is very stubborn and doesn't like to admit that something might be wrong."

Judy laughed. "You know my daughter so well."

"She's always known me well," Quinn said, staring at the brunette.

"Yes, well—you always intrigued me, Quinn Fabray, so I spent far too much time trying to figure you out," Rachel replied. "And I must say, it's mutual. Even when we weren't friends, you always told me what I needed to hear, though it may not have been what I wanted to hear at the time. Sometimes I think you knew me better than I knew myself."

"Don't make me gag," Santana said as she plopped down in her chair.

"You might want to be nice, Santana," Kurt commented, brining over Judy's tea.

"Or you'll do what?" Santana asked.

"I'll tell Blaine to tell Brittany, and I don't think she'll be very happy with you" Kurt replied.

Santana scoffed and then scowled, crossing her arms. "You don't scare me."

"I have Brittany's number if you want to call her directly," Quinn said, reaching for her phone.

"Wait!" Santana said, holding up her hands. "Fine, but just so you know, I hate you all."

"No you don't," Rachel argued. "We're your best friends even if you don't want to admit it. You wouldn't have moved in with us otherwise."

Santana rolled her eyes as she stood up and walked into her room without saying anything. The four in the living room laughed and Santana poked her head out to say, "Seriously, I hate you all."

Rachel shook her head and looked at Judy. "So, Ms. Fabray—Judy—did you enjoy your day? If there's anything else you would like to do, we still have a few days."

"We're shopping first thing tomorrow, before I have to be at the office," Kurt interjected. "Speaking of which, I'm going to head to bed; I need my beauty rest if I'm going to perform a makeover tomorrow."

"Goodnight, Kurt," Rachel said, smiling at him.

"See you in the morning," Kurt said, looking over his shoulder on the way to his room.

"We should probably all get to bed, I guess," Rachel said, putting her head on Quinn's shoulder. "It has been a very long day and I anticipate tomorrow being just as long."

"Good, because I'm exhausted," Quinn said, standing up, and stretching.

"I think we all are," Judy replied.

"I'll make breakfast in the morning," Rachel announced. "Is there anything specific that you would like?"

"Whatever you fix will be fine, dear," Judy said, looking at Rachel.

Quinn snorted. "You clearly haven't had her cooking; I'll make breakfast in the morning, so it's edible."

"I'm not _that_ bad." Rachel frowned, crossing her arms, and Quinn's eyebrow rose. "Okay, fine—you can fix breakfast in the morning."

"We'll see you in the morning, mom," Quinn said, laughing lightly.

"Wait," Judy said. "Rachel, I wanted to thank you for today."

"It was nothing," the brunette said, waving her off. "I had a lot of fun today, and Quinn really planned most of it."

"Not for that, though today was wonderful," Judy said with a shake of her head. "Thank you for making my daughter so happy. As mother, you want to see your child like that, and for a long time I wondered if she would ever be happy. Then you came along and changed everything. I think that's the best gift I could have gotten for Mother's Day—to know my daughter is going to be okay."

Quinn looked over and saw tears in her girlfriend's eyes; she reached over and took Rachel's hand, knowing the brunette—probably for the first time in her life—didn't know what to say. She glanced at her mom, smiling, and tugged on Rachel's hand, guiding her into their bedroom.

* * *

Quinn narrowed her eyes as she watched Kurt; he seemed really nervous for some reason and she wanted to know what he was up to. And it was just him; her mom had been acting strange as well, but neither of them was saying anything. Rachel was acting normal, though, and since she knew her girlfriend couldn't keep a secret, she knew the brunette wasn't in on whatever was happening. Plus, Rachel kept looking questionably at Kurt.

"Okay," Rachel said, crossing her arms. "Will you tell me what is going on."

"What are you talking about?" Kurt asked completely unconvincingly.

"Kurt Hummel, I know when you are lying to me," Rachel said with a scowl on her face. "Now, tell me what is going on and why you keep looking at the door."

"I'm not," Kurt replied.

"Why does he keep looking at the door?" Rachel asked, turning to Santana.

"Don't look at me," Santana said, shrugging. "Even if I knew, I wouldn't tell you."

Rachel huffed. "Fine."

There was a knock on the door and Kurt jumped up, saying, "Thank god."

Quinn and Rachel both furrowed their brows as they watched Kurt quickly walk over to answer the door. The blonde looked over at Judy and noticed she had a smile on her face, which made her frown even more.

"Oh my," Quinn heard Rachel say beside her, and she looked to the door.

"What are—" Quinn closed her mouth and took a step forward.

"Surprise," Shelby said, walking into the room with Beth in her arms.

"What are you two doing here?" Rachel asked.

"We thought we would surprise you, didn't we?" Shelby said, smiling down at Beth. "Judy called me last week saying she was going to be here. We thought it might be a nice idea if Beth and I stopped by."

"I didn't know you two talked," Quinn said, looking at her mother.

"I must say, I am definitely surprised," Rachel said with a light laugh.

"Yeah," Quinn replied.

"We'll be right back," Rachel said, grabbing Quinn's hand, and pulling her toward the bedroom.

Once inside the room, Rachel pulled the curtains shut and turned around, looking at Quinn.

"What?" the blonde asked.

"Are you okay?" Rachel asked. "With Shelby and Beth just showing up here. Are you okay? If you're not, I can—"

"Rachel," Quinn said, stopping her girlfriend before she could go into a full rant. "I'm okay. I'm surprised, but I'm okay."

"Good," Rachel said, letting out a long sigh.

"Are you?" Quinn asked. "Okay, I mean."

Rachel nodded. "Yes. Like you, I'm surprised, but you know Shelby and I have been talking lately, so I'm okay with seeing her."

Quinn nodded, knowing that Rachel was telling the truth since the brunette was a terrible liar, and she could always tell. Quinn was surprised her mother had sprung this on her, but she knew it was because of one of their last phone conversations. They ended up discussing Beth and Quinn had admitted that she wished she could see her daughter again.

"Does that mean we can go back out there?" Quinn asked, smiling.

"Yes, sorry I drug you away," Rachel said with a laugh.

Quinn gave Rachel's lips a quick kiss and then turned to walk through the curtain. Kurt was sitting on the floor, playing with Beth, while Judy was now in the kitchen making a pot of coffee and Shelby was sitting at the table. Rachel reached out, squeezing Quinn's hand, and then headed toward Shelby. Quinn looked at Kurt and Beth; she smiled as she watched them playing with dolls, and went over to them.

"Want to join us?" Kurt asked. "There's an extra doll."

Quinn laughed and sat down. "Hi, Beth."

"Hi," the little blonde said, not looking up.

"How long did you know about this?" Quinn asked.

"Since Judy came," Kurt admitted. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you, but she wanted it to be a surprise."

"Santana really didn't know?" Quinn asked.

"Like she would have been able to keep it a secret," Kurt said, rolling his eyes before looking serious. "You know why she insisted on coming Sunday, don't you?"

"To be a pain in the ass?" Quinn asked.

Kurt tilted his head. "She thought Mother's Day might be hard for you; she wanted be there for you. In her own Santana way, at least." Kurt shook his head. "I'm not saying I like living with her or that I don't want to kick her out on the street most days, but I did learn something about her this week. She doesn't act like it, but she does care about people—especially you. So, as much as it pains me to say it, I think we should give her a break sometimes."

Quinn looked across the apartment, her eyes falling onto Santana, who had emerged from her room.

"Is Rachel okay with this?" Kurt asked.

"Yeah," Quinn replied. "I'll be right back."

Quinn smiled at Beth as she stood up. She walked over to the kitchen and wrapped her arms around Judy.

"What's this for?" the older woman asked.

"Thank you," Quinn said.

"Don't mention it, dear," Judy said, squeezing her arm.

Quinn smiled as she looked over her shoulder, looking from Beth to Rachel. It was rare when the three people she loved most were in the same room and she was going to enjoy every moment of it.

* * *

**The next chapter will probably be Father's Day, so I'll see you all then.**


	11. The Past and the Future

**skittles84: Yes, that was very subtle.**

* * *

**Chapter 11 – The Past and the Future**

Rachel hummed as she packed her suitcase; she normally would have been packed days in advance, but it had been a busy couple of days and she was just finally getting around to it. Plus, she didn't even know she was going anywhere until just last week. Quinn had gotten a call from her cousin, asking her to be bridesmaid in her wedding. Quinn's cousin originally planned on eloping, but her parents found out and insisted that she have an actual wedding. She agreed, but instead of doing anything extravagant, she had thrown the wedding together quickly. Rachel had never met the cousin, but Quinn wanted her to come and be her date.

Rachel was actually a little surprised by the invitation. While their parents and all their friends knew of their relationship, taking her to a wedding with all her extended family was another matter. Rachel would have understood if her girlfriend wasn't ready to come out to her whole family, but Quinn had insisted she come. Rachel would be lying if she said it didn't make her happy, but she never would have pushed it. As long as Quinn was ready for it, she would happily be there, but if Quinn decided along the way that she wasn't ready, Rachel would be there in whatever capacity she needed her.

Since it was Father's Day weekend, the original plan was for Hiram and Leroy to come to the city, but they changed their plans when they found out about the wedding. Her fathers said that Father's Day was every year, but a wedding was only once, and insisted they go. Instead, they were going to come the following weekend.

"Are you still picking out a dress?" Quinn asked, sounding amused.

"I just don't know which to bring, and I can't bring them both," Rachel replied.

"I think you should bring the navy one," Quinn said.

"Really?" Rachel asked.

"It's my favorite," Quinn stated. "Though you look amazing in both."

Rachel smiled. "You're just saying that."

"I'm saying it because it's true," Quinn said, wrapping her arms around Rachel's waist, and kissing her neck.

Rachel leaned back into the embrace. "Okay, I'll go with the navy one."

"Does that mean we can go?" Quinn asked.

Rachel scoffed. "Is that why you picked the navy one? So I would hurry up and we could leave? Because I'll have you know—"

Rachel squeaked in surprise when Quinn cut her off with a kiss. She instantly forgot what she was going to say and allowed Quinn to pull her closer. Every time Quinn kissed her, her heart beat faster and she felt like she was falling. It was strange; in the beginning she thought it was because the relationship and experience was new, but it was still happening. The fact was, kissing Quinn was unlike kissing anyone else. Maybe Quinn was just a phenomenal kisser—which she was—or maybe it was because Rachel was truly in love; whatever the reason, she loved the feeling and she hoped it never went away.

"I really do like the navy one," Quinn said as she pulled away.

"Okay," Rachel said, resting their foreheads together.

Rachel gave Quinn a quick kiss on her lips and reluctantly pulled away to put her dress in a garment bag. She prided herself on always being on time, but they were supposed to have left thirty minutes ago. Once the dress was in the bag, though, she zipped it shut, grabbed her suitcase, and took one last look around the room to make sure she wasn't forgetting anything.

"Got everything?" Quinn asked.

"I think so," Rachel said, though she still felt like she was forgetting something.

"If you've left something, we can always replace it," Quinn said, picking Rachel's suitcase up from the bed.

"I know," Rachel replied. "Okay, I guess I am ready to leave."

Quinn walked to the curtain and held it open for Rachel as she said, "And don't complain about me carrying your bag for you."

Rachel laughed since that was exactly what she was about to do. "You know me too well."

"Aren't you two gone yet," Santana asked as she walked into the room.

"We're almost ready to go," Rachel replied.

"Hurry up," Santana said, scowling. "Britts is on her way, and I plan to rip her clothes off the moment she walks through that door."

Rachel scrunched her face as Quinn said, "Thank you for the mental image."

"That's why you should get your asses gone unless you want to see the real thing," Santana said, shrugging.

"We're going," Quinn said, rolling her eyes.

"Try not to catch any bouquets," Santana called after them as they walked toward the door.

"Why not," Rachel called over her shoulder.

"Because you know what they say about them," Santana said, smirking. "And I may be hot, but no one looks good in one of those damn bridesmaid dresses, and knowing you, you'll pick something hideous. Probably something with plaid and galloping animals."

This time, Rachel rolled her eyes. "Goodbye, Santana."

* * *

"Did you ever say what Lily's fiancé's name is?" Rachel asked.

"No," Quinn replied.

Rachel stared at Quinn for a moment before asking, "Well?"

Quinn looked at her. "Well what?"

"What is her fiancé's name?" Rachel asked, laughing lightly.

"I don't actually know," Quinn said with a shrug.

"She asked you to be a bridesmaid and you don't even know her fiancé's name?" Rachel asked.

"She didn't really say much other than asking if I would be a bridesmaid and letting me know when and where the wedding is," Quinn replied. "The only thing I really know is that they haven't been dating that long because she was single only a few months ago when we last talked."

Rachel hummed and went back to staring out the window. She supposed she would learn more when they actually got to Vermont and she met the couple. As it was, the only thing she really knew was that Lily was the only Fabray that didn't have a stick up her ass—Quinn's words—and she was the only one that still talked to Quinn after finding out she was pregnant her sophomore year. Really, though, Rachel didn't need to know much more than that to know she was going to like her.

"Rachel?" Quinn said, gaining the brunette's attention. "If anyone asks who you are this weekend, just tell them—"

"I'm your roommate?" Rachel interrupted. "Best friend? LLBFF?"

Quinn rolled her eyes but was laughing nonetheless. "You have been watching way too much of that show with Santana."

Rachel shrugged, smiling. "She's right about the subtext, you know; it's quite fascinating to watch."

"I was going to say to just tell them who you are," Quinn said. "I've spent too much of my life pretending to be someone I'm not just to please them and I'm not going to do it anymore. So, if anyone asks, you're my girlfriend."

"Really?" Rachel asked.

"Yes," Quinn replied. "Unless you're uncomfortable with that and then we don't have to tell—or if you're just not comfortable saying it, but you're okay with them knowing, I can be the one to tell everyone. I just know my family; they're going to bombard you with a hundred questions and the first one is going to be how you know me."

"As long as you are sure, I'll happily tell them the truth," Rachel replied.

"Good," Quinn said, released a long breath. "I really didn't want to have to spend the weekend pretending; it's exhausting."

"I would never ask you to do that," Rachel said, reaching over, and taking Quinn's hand.

"Just—keep your guard up," Quinn advised. "The Fabray's are known for how passive aggressive they can be, and once they find out we're in a relationship, I can't guarantee they'll be very pleasant. They won't actually say anything outright mean, but—" Quinn shook her head. "You'll see soon enough."

"I believe I can handle them," Rachel replied. "It won't be the first time I have encountered someone that's less than friendly and I highly doubt it will be the last. After all, I did spend the majority of high school around passive aggressive people, as well as downright hostile people."

"Yeah," Quinn said.

Rachel looked to her left and saw the look on Quinn's face. "I'm sorry; I didn't necessarily mean you."

Quinn sighed. "Yes, you did, and don't say you didn't; we both know I was one of those people."

"You have more than made up for it, though," Rachel said, squeezing Quinn's hand. "I wasn't actually thinking of you when I said it. High school seems like so long ago in some ways. I think it's because I can't really imagine my life without you in it now, and I sometimes forget that you were not always here. Not like this, anyway."

"I know you say I've made up for it, but I'll never stop being sorry," Quinn said, staring into her eyes.

"That's because you are a wonderful person," Rachel said, smiling at her girlfriend.

Quinn laughed lightly. "I don't know if I'd say that.

"I would," Rachel replied. "I love you, Quinn."

"I love you, too," Quinn said, smiling softly at her.

* * *

"This is a lovely inn," Rachel said, looking around their room. "They couldn't have picked a nicer location."

To be thrown together, the wedding was still probably going to be beautiful. It was at a very expensive looking inn—one that Quinn's aunt and uncle were paying for everyone to stay at—and the wedding itself was going to be on the grounds. When Rachel looked out the window, she could see the tent in the distance, where she assumed the reception was going to be held. She could also see a small flower garden next to the building and made a mental note to check it out.

"Yeah," Quinn agreed. "Too bad the wedding wasn't next weekend. Then we could have spent our six-month anniversary here."

"But we would be too busy with the wedding to really enjoy it," Rachel remarked.

Quinn smiled. "Or we could come, have my aunt and uncle pay for everything, and skip the wedding."

"That wouldn't be very nice," Rachel said, laughing.

"No, but when have they ever been nice to me?" Quinn asked. "Even when I was little they preferred my sister; they would make little comments letting me know how I was never quite as good as her, but 'maybe one day'." Quinn rolled her eyes. "They are the perfect example of why I don't like my paternal relatives."

"Except Lily," Rachel said.

Quinn smiled. "Except Lily; she was always my cool, older cousin that I wanted to be like."

"How old is she?" Rachel wondered.

"I think she's twenty-five," Quinn replied. "I know she graduated college a few years ago."

"Well, I look forward to meeting her," Rachel said, smiling.

There was a knock on the door and both Quinn and Rachel turned to look at it. Rachel was the closest, so she walked to the door and opened it.

"Hi," the blonde woman said to Rachel before looking over her shoulder. "I see you two made it."

"We did," Quinn said as she stepped forward and gave the other woman a hug.

"Who's the girl?" she asked.

"Lily, this is Rachel," Quinn introduced them.

"I thought you were bringing a date," Lily said, looking at Rachel with her eyebrow raised, and Rachel wondered if all Fabrays could arch their eyebrows like that since Quinn seemed to have the same ability.

"She is my date," Quinn replied seriously.

Lily looked at Quinn and then looked at Rachel before throwing her head back and laughing. Rachel and Quinn locked eyes, the latter furrowing her brows. Rachel didn't know if the laughter was a good or a bad sign, but at least Quinn's cousin didn't seem upset about it.

"Can you stop laughing?" Quinn asked, rolling her eyes.

"Sorry," Lily said, nudging her shoulder into Quinn's. "I can't believe you didn't tell me."

Quinn shrugged. "It never came up."

"How long have you two been together?" Lily asked.

"Six months next week," Rachel answered.

"Well, congratulations," Lily said, sounding sincere. "And thank you; this is definitely going to take some of the pressure off me tomorrow."

"What do you mean by that?" Quinn asked, frowning.

"You'll see," Lily said, giving Quinn a cryptic smile. "I'll leave you two alone; I just wanted to say hi, but I know you had a long drive, so you're probably tired."

"Seriously, what did you mean?" Quinn asked again.

"Later," Lily said, turning on her heel, and exiting the room. "Don't forget the rehearsal in a few hours."

Quinn turned to Rachel, frowning. "I don't know if I like the sound of that."

"She probably just means that your news will take some of the focus off of her," Rachel said, shrugging. "I mean, she obviously didn't want a big wedding if her plan was to elope, so maybe she's one of those people that don't really enjoy the spotlight."

"No," Quinn said, shaking her head. "I know her—she meant something else."

"You're just being paranoid," Rachel replied with a laugh.

"Maybe," Quinn said, shrugging.

"She was right about one thing," Rachel said.

"What's that?" Quinn asked.

"I am really tired from the trip," Rachel replied. "I think I definitely need a short nap and then I want to go out and look around."

Quinn smiled. "That sounds perfect."

"Maybe we can fit something else in between the nap and the looking around," Rachel added.

"That sounds even more perfect," Quinn said, leaning forward, and giving Rachel a kiss.

* * *

Santana was wrong about no one looking good in a bridesmaid dress; Quinn looked absolutely stunning and Rachel couldn't take her eyes off her girlfriend during the whole ceremony. The ceremony itself had been outdoors and they couldn't possibly have picked a more beautiful day or location. It was definitely the nicest wedding Rachel had ever attended; she never would have guessed that the wedding was put together in less than a month. The bride's parents clearly got their way when it came to the wedding, but the reception was a different matter.

There had been no dinner, no toasts, and no speeches except for a short one in which the bride and groom thanked everyone for coming. They then told everyone to have fun and the live band started playing. There was a buffet table set up with an assortment of food and an open bar. The bride and groom didn't even have a first dance; they were the first one the dance floor when the band started, though—right after the groom threw off his tie and jacket, revealing his tattoo covered arms. Everyone else just stood around as if they didn't know what to do. Rachel had to stifle her laughter at the sight; the Fabrays were definitely an uptight group of people and they seemed confused by anything that wasn't the way things traditionally were.

"See what I mean?" Quinn asked, looking at Rachel. "They all have sticks up their asses."

"I do see your point," Rachel remarked.

"Would you dance with me, Rachel Berry?" Quinn asked, holding out her hand.

Rachel took Quinn's hand as she said, "I would love to."

Quinn led her onto the dance floor and they began dancing to the up-tempo song. Other than Lily and her new husband, Jeff, there were only a handful of people dancing. Rachel suspected they were probably all friends of the couple rather than family. Jeff's family lived across the country, so only a handful of them had come to the wedding; it was one of the reasons they were planning on eloping until they got wrangled into this.

"This is the first time we've got to dance like this together," Quinn commented. "I spent all of senior prom wishing I could ask you, but I knew how weird that would look. Plus, I was still working on walking."

Rachel smiled. "That would have been nice."

"It's probably a good thing that I didn't, though," Quinn said. "Finn had already manhandled me once; I hate to know what he would have done if I asked his fiancé to dance with me."

Rachel frowned. "He what?"

"It's nothing," Quinn said, shaking her head.

"No, what did you mean?" Rachel asked.

Quinn sighed. "He walked into the bathroom and saw me standing; he was mad, but I asked him to stay and he did. Later, when we were dancing together, he demanded I stand up, and when I didn't, he tried to make me. Coach Sylvester even threatened to kick him out. I really figured you would have heard about it."

Rachel scowled. "I can't believe he did that. Is that why he finally came to the hotel?" She huffed before Quinn gave her an answer. "I can't believe him."

"He had a right to be mad," Quinn said, shrugging. "I was using him to get votes and using being in the wheelchair."

"I don't believe that," Rachel said, shaking her head.

"It's true," Quinn argued. "I did play it up, but that's not the entire reason I didn't walk into prom. I had just started walking again and I didn't want to fail. Plus, no one really knew the progress I had been making, so I thought it would be nice to surprise everyone."

"You did do that," Rachel said, smiling. "I was so happy when you stood from that chair; I don't think I'll ever forget that moment."

The song changed to a slower song and Quinn immediately wrapped her arm around Rachel's waist, pulling her closer. There were more people on the dance floor now, but Rachel could see most of the eyes on her and Quinn. One woman in particular was watching them closely as she had been for a while now.

"Who is that woman over there?" Rachel asked.

"Who?" Quinn asked.

"Tall, blonde hair, maroon dress on—she's pretty much directly behind you, sitting at one of the tables," Rachel said.

Quinn spun them around, so she was now facing in the direction Rachel had been. "Oh, her." Quinn frowned. "That's Frannie."

"Your sister?" Rachel asked. "I didn't know she was in attendance."

"I saw her yesterday," Quinn said, a slight frown on her face.

"Have you talking to her?" Rachel wondered.

Quinn shook her head. "No."

"Are you going to?" Rachel asked.

"Probably not," Quinn said, pulling Rachel even closer.

Rachel sighed; she hated that Quinn's family—even her own sister—couldn't see what an amazing woman Quinn was. It made Quinn's need to be popular during high school even clearer. She was never good enough for her family, so she became the person everyone wanted to be at school.

* * *

After spending a while dancing, Quinn and Rachel made their way to the buffet table, stopping along the way to get something to drink. Rachel was a bit parched from the dancing and wondered if Quinn was doing okay. She didn't ask, though, because she knew her girlfriend would just say she was fine as she always did.

There was a little girl in front of them in line and Rachel smiled at the sight. She recognized her as the flower girl, though she had on a different dress now—something less frilly.

"Isn't she precious?" Rachel said, turning to Quinn.

"Her name is Katie," Quinn said. "She's Lily's niece."

"I wish I had little cousins," Rachel said, sighing wistfully.

"Does this mean you want children someday?" Quinn asked.

Rachel looked at her girlfriend, surprised by the question. "I do. I would like a girl and a boy. Not anytime soon, of course; I would like to have an established career at that point and hopefully a Tony."

She and Quinn really hadn't discussed the future very much. Other than a few odd comments about things they would like to do, neither of them had brought it up. It wasn't that Rachel didn't think about it—she often did—but she didn't want to move too fast and risk scaring Quinn away. She actually wondered if she'd said too much right now since Quinn had yet to reply.

"Two would be good," Quinn finally said as she put a few appetizers on her plate.

"Yeah?" Rachel asked.

"Yeah." Quinn smiled at her and then looked over her shoulder at the stage. "Oh, I forgot to tell you. Lily said anyone can sing with the band that wants to; I thought you might be interested."

Rachel immediately put down her plate and grabbed Quinn's hand. "Come on."

"I thought we were going to eat," Quinn protested, but she was following Rachel without much hesitation.

"I know, but we only got to sing one duet during three years in Glee, and I now the perfect song," Rachel replied. "Plus, this song is almost over, so if we go now, we won't have to wait."

Quinn laughed, shaking her head. "I really should have waited until after we ate to tell you."

"We can eat anytime," Rachel said, waving her off.

"We can also sing anytime," Quinn pointed out.

"Are you saying you don't want to sing with me?" Rachel asked, turning to Quinn, and putting her hands on her hips.

"No," Quinn said, leaning forward, and giving Rachel a kiss.

"Then come on," Rachel said, pecking Quinn's cheek before pulling her the rest of the way to the small stage.

"What are we singing," Quinn asked.

Rachel smiled. "You'll see."

"What if I don't know the song?" Quinn asked.

Rachel's smile grew as she said, "Trust me—you'll know it."

"Alright," Quinn said, laughing lightly.

"Wait here," Rachel instructed.

Rachel walked over the moment the current song stopped and whispered in the guy's ear, not wanting Quinn to hear. With a nod, the guitarist walked over to the rest of the band; Rachel walked back to Quinn, entwining their fingers together, and bringing her girlfriend to the stage. As the music began to play, Rachel watched Quinn, and the blonde looked back as a smile appeared on her face. As soon as it was her cue, Rachel began singing the first verse.

"_Watching every motion in my foolish lovers game  
__On this endless ocean finally lovers know no shame  
__Turning and returning to some secret place inside  
__Watching in slow motion as you turn around and say"_

Quinn's voice joined hers and they smiled at each other. With that smile, Rachel's heart fluttered; sometimes she couldn't believe Quinn was hers. She didn't know how she got so lucky, but she hoped that luck continued for the rest of her life.

"_Take my breath away  
__Take my breath away"_

Rachel smiled softly as Quinn took over the next chorus. The song held a special place in her heart; despite dancing with Finn at the time, the thing she remembered about the song was Quinn singing it. Even at the time, it felt like Quinn was singing it to her and only her, which now she knew the blonde probably was. She just wished she knew that in the past; maybe then they would have wasted less time before beginning their lives together.

* * *

**The song used in this chapter was obviously Take My Breath Away by Berlin.**

**The next chapter should be the 4****th**** of July, so I'll see you then**


	12. Fireworks

**Chapter 12 – Fireworks**

"Next time, I think we should just fly," Kurt said over the music.

"Quit bitching," Santana said, her arms crossed over her chest.

Kurt scoffed. "Yes, because you haven't complained at all."

"Don't make me turn this car around," Quinn joked.

"Guys, we're almost there," Rachel said, turning around to look at the backseat. "And you know it wouldn't have been very practical for all four of us to fly; plane tickets are not cheap."

Quinn was just as tired of being in the car as everyone else, but she was actually happy to be going back to Lima. They had left New York early in the morning, hoping to get to their hometown by midday, and thanks to Rachel's insistence on not taking many breaks—and Santana's lead foot—they were going to get there just as planned.

They were just lucky they could all come back to Lima. Quinn was supposed to work, but someone was nice enough to trade with her since they had no plans for the holiday. The student film Rachel was working on was shut down for the week because the director was flying across the country, so Rachel had been free. Kurt and Santana were also both lucky enough to get time off work; for Kurt it wasn't hard because his boss really liked him, but Santana had threatened to quit if they didn't give her the time off and they eventually relented since she was their most popular employee. Quinn could only get off until Sunday, though, so they were going to have to leave early that morning, so she could work in the evening.

"Drop me off at Britt's house," Santana instructed.

"You don't want to see your family?" Rachel asked.

"I'll see them later," Santana said, waving her off.

"You will also see Brittany later," Rachel remarked.

"Who would you see first, your dads or Q?" Santana asked.

Rachel paused for a moment and then said, "I see your point."

"I thought so," Santana said, smirking.

"Alright, we'll drop you off and then take Kurt to his house," Rachel replied.

It was actually easier to do it that way; Santana lived close to where they were, but Brittany's house was on the other side of town. It was only a few minutes before they were pulling into Brittany's driveway and Santana was hopping out of the car.

"Don't forget that the festivities start at five," Rachel announced.

"I'm aware," Santana replied. "You've only reminded me five times today."

Rachel frowned. "That's an exaggeration."

"Whatever," Santana said as she shut her door.

"What are the chances she's on time?" Rachel asked.

"Slim to none," Quinn replied as she pulled out of the driveway. "Brittany's excited about seeing everyone, though, so they'll get there eventually."

"I guess it's a good thing it starts as six then," Rachel commented.

Kurt laughed. "Smart."

"I've lived with Santana long enough to know she is never on time," Rachel said, shrugging.

Rachel and Kurt chatted some as Quinn drove to the latter's house. She pulled in behind Finn's truck and popped the trunk so Kurt could get his bag. They said their goodbyes and she was just about to pull away when Kurt leaned down, knocking on Rachel's window.

"Yes?" Rachel said as she lowered the glass.

"This might be a good time to mention that I invited Finn to the cookout," Kurt said.

Rachel and Quinn's mouths both dropped and the brunette asked, "Excuse me?"

"Well, I couldn't _not_ invite him," Kurt said.

"I believe you could," Quinn replied. "I managed not to."

"He called me last week," Kurt stated. "He'd heard from someone that it was happening, and I couldn't very well lie to him. I told him you must have forgotten to call him."

Quinn rolled her eyes. "Why would you do that?"

"He's my stepbrother," Kurt replied. "I didn't want to hurt his feelings by telling him you purposefully excluded him."

"I don't want to hurt his feelings, either, but I don't believe him coming today would be the best thing for anybody," Rachel said.

Kurt shrugged. "I think it's better than him not coming and finding out every one of his friends were there."

"Fine," Rachel said, sighing. "I guess there's nothing we can do about it now."

Kurt turned and made his way to the house; Rachel and Quinn looked at each other, both with looks of concern on their face. As far as Quinn knew, Finn still didn't know about them. She wasn't his biggest fan—she didn't really like anyone Rachel loved before her—but she didn't want him hurt, either. It was just a bad situation for everyone, so she couldn't really blame Kurt for trying to spare Finn's feelings. Still, though, she wished he'd given them more of a warning, and by the look on Rachel's face, Quinn figured she was thinking the exact same thing.

* * *

Quinn was late. She had left on time, but ran into a car accident on the way. She wouldn't have been that late, but she actually had a bit of a panic attack after seeing the accident, so she had to pull off the road, and sat in the Pizza Hut parking lot for a while as she tried to calm down. It hadn't happened in a long time and it took her by surprise. Seeing the accident brought back a bunch of memories from her own accident, and before she knew it, she couldn't half breathe.

Even though she would like to have not let Rachel know, she sent her a text to tell her what was going on and why she would be late. She was embarrassed by it, but she didn't want to lie to her girlfriend. Rachel tried to come to her the moment she got the text, but Quinn told her she would be okay and reminded her that she had a cookout to help with. Of course Rachel still insisted on it and demanded to know where she was, but Quinn eventually talked her out of it, saying she was okay and would be there soon. 'Soon' turned out to be a little longer than she initially thought, but she was there now.

The moment she walked through the door, Rachel was already heading toward her. Quinn laughed, wondering if she had someone keeping an eye out for when she got there, and was immediately wrapped in the brunette's arms.

"I told you I'm okay," Quinn said, hugging her back. "Just embarrassed."

"There is nothing to be embarrassed about," Rachel said, pulling away, and cupping her face.

"Right," Quinn said, not at all convinced. "It's been over a year and I freaked out because I saw car crash; I thought I was over it."

"Sweetie, it was traumatic experience, and it's completely understandable," Rachel replied. "Every time I see anything like that, even on television, I have a moment of panic because I think of last year. I can't even imagine what it's like for you or what it would be like to experience an accident that bad. There is _nothing_ to be embarrassed about."

Quinn nodded and gave her a smile. "Is everyone else here?"

"Yes," Rachel replied. "Is Judy still coming later?"

"Yeah, she said she would be here around seven," Quinn answered.

Rachel smiled. "Do we get to meet her mystery man?"

"I don't know if I want to," Quinn said, laughing, and shaking her head.

"You know her dating again is a good thing," Rachel said, wrapping her arms around Quinn's neck.

"Yes, but I don't know if I'm quite ready to think of my mom with another man," Quinn replied.

Rachel laughed. "Understandable." Rachel nodded her head. "Come on; I'm sure you're hungry, and you should eat before all the boys get everything."

Quinn smiled and gave Rachel a quick kiss before being led to the backyard. All of their friends from high school were in town for the holiday, and every one of them was there, along with quite a few of their parents. Rachel's fathers decided to start a tradition of having a cookout on the fourth of July; they thought it would be a good way for Rachel to keep in touch with her friends. Quinn suspected it was also a way to make sure Rachel came home at least once a year.

"Berry bitched at me about being on time and you're the one that's late," Santana said the moment they walked through the door and into the backyard.

"Quinn has a very good reason for that," Rachel replied.

"Oh, yeah?" Santana said, raising her eyebrow. "What?"

"She was delayed by an accident," Rachel replied.

"Quinn!" Brittany said, coming up to her, and giving her a hug. "I feel like I haven't seen you in forever."

Quinn laughed as she returned the hug. "It has been a while."

"Everyone's been wondering where you were," Brittany said as she pulled away.

"Yes, why don't we go say hi," Rachel said, taking Quinn's hand again.

Quinn gave her a grateful smile; she was clearly stopping Brittany before she could also start asking where she had been. Quinn was okay with Rachel knowing the truth, but she would rather everyone else not know. It was embarrassing enough as it was; she didn't need everyone else asking if she was okay or worrying about her.

"Sorry I'm late," Rachel said as she approached the table where most of her friends were seated.

She received hugs from Mercedes, Mike, Puck, and Blaine before sitting down next to Rachel, whose hand never left hers. As she looked around, she saw Finn's eyes dart between Rachel, their conjoined hands, and back to Rachel, his brows furrowing in the process. Considering some of the biggest gossips she had ever met knew, she had no idea how he still didn't know of their relationship. It was evident by his face that he was trying to figure out what was going on, though.

"Do you want me to make you up a plate?" Rachel asked, leaning towards her.

"I can do it," Quinn said, shaking her head, and smiling.

"Nonsense," Rachel said, standing up. "Just sit here and relax, okay."

Quinn wanted to protest, but she knew it would be futile; Rachel would just end up winning in the end, anyway, so she gave Rachel a soft smile. The brunette returned the smile, squeezed her hand, and said, "I'll be right back."

"I'm confused," Finn said, watching Rachel as she walked toward Leroy, who was manning the grill.

"That's not unusual," Santana remarked.

"Why are you two holding hands?" Finn asked.

"Dude, they're all gay for each other," Puck said before Quinn would respond.

"Wait—what?" Finn asked.

"Rachel and Quinn are in a relationship, Finn," Kurt said.

"But—since when?" Finn asked.

"What, like, Halloween?" Mercedes said.

"Right before Christmas officially," Kurt replied.

"Yeah, they were trying to take it slow or whatever." Santana rolled her eyes. "Like they hadn't been wanting to bone for years."

Quinn blushed. "Santana, that's—"

"Don't act like it's not true," Santana interrupted.

"So, what—you're saying Rachel never loved me?" Finn asked.

"I don't think she's saying that," Blaine chimed in.

"I think she is," Finn argued.

"Ignore Santana," Quinn replied.

"What did I miss?" Rachel asked as she set a plate down in front of Quinn.

* * *

"Yo."

Quinn felt something hit her forehead and she turned to glare at Santana. "Can you not."

"Quit staring like a freak," Santana said, rolling her eyes. "Or let's at least move closer so we can hear what they're saying."

"I'm not eavesdropping on my girlfriend," Quinn replied.

"Not even when she's talking to her ex-fiancé," Santana asked. "Her ex-fiancé that she had sex with."

"Don't remind me," Quinn said, frowning.

"Do you really want them talking?" Santana asked.

"Can you stop?" Quinn said, sighing. "I trust Rachel; she just wants to make sure he's okay with all of this."

"And if he's not?" Santana asked.

Quinn shrugged. "She'll make sure he is."

Quinn didn't like Rachel talking to Finn—she wouldn't like the idea of her talking to any of her ex-boyfriends—but she wasn't going to do anything about it. She had tried to control all of her past boyfriends, but that had been easy; she was the most popular girl in high school and they just wanted a popular girlfriend, so they did whatever she wanted. She wasn't going to do that with Rachel, though; she trusted her—she didn't trust Finn, but she trusted her girlfriend.

"What if he tries to get her back?" Santana asked.

"I'm sure he will," Quinn replied.

Santana scoffed. "And you're okay with that?"

"I told you," Quinn rolled her eyes, "I trust Rachel. Of course I'm not okay with Finn trying to get Rachel back, but she doesn't want him, so what does it matter? Believe me, if she was my ex, I would try to get her back, too."

"He's standing up," Santana said, sitting up straighter.

"Thank you," Quinn sarcastically replied. "I can't see that myself."

Rachel began walking over to them, and Finn locked eyes with Quinn. He didn't seem very happy and definitely looked more than a little confused. He turned, walking into the house, and Quinn shifted her gaze to Rachel.

"Is everything okay?" Quinn asked.

Rachel shrugged a shoulder. "As good as can be expected. He didn't really understand, but I'm not going to waste any more time trying to convince him that this isn't some phase I'm going through and that it has nothing to do with our breakup."

"He thinks he hurt you so badly that you ran into the arms of a girl," Quinn said.

Rachel sighed. "Yes. I tried to tell him that it's not the case, and then I tried to tactfully tell him that my attraction to you is not a recent development, but I didn't want him to think that what we had meant nothing because I did love him. It was obvious that he wasn't really listening to what I was saying, so I told him it was not up for discussion and that the conversation was over." Rachel sat down beside Quinn and took her hand. "I'm enjoying our time in Lima, and I'm not going to let this ruin it. If he doesn't understand, that is his problem. Yes, I wish he would be okay with everything, but it's understandable that he's not, and I'm not going to spend any more time trying to get him to change his mind."

Quinn smiled softly. "I love you."

"I love you, too, Quinn," Rachel said, smiling back.

"Get a room."

* * *

Quinn heard the first crack of a firework going off and looked out of the kitchen window. The sky was briefly lit up with red and then another one shot into the sky, casting a green glow over everything. She quickly walked to the refrigerator and grabbed two cold bottles of water, one for her and one for Rachel. When she turned around, she nearly collided with Finn, who was just standing there.

"Can we talk?" he asked.

"If this is about Rachel, no," Quinn said, walking around him.

"Of course it's about Rachel," he said.

Quinn sighed and slowly turned around. "Make it quick; we're missing the fireworks."

"This isn't some game of yours, is it?" Finn asked. "

Quinn scoffed. "You think my relationship with her is a game?"

"I don't know," Finn said, throwing up his hands.

"Finn, listen very carefully," Quinn said, stressing each word. "What is going on is not some game. I love Rachel, and whether you like it or not, she loves me. You don't know me and you never really did; the fact that you think that this is a game proves that. I have nothing against you, but that can change." Quinn turned toward the door, but turned on her heel again to face Finn. "And not that I owe you any explanation, but I've always had feelings for Rachel, even when I didn't realize it. I was just too terrified in high school to admit it."

Finn's jaw visibly clenched, and when Quinn turned, taking a step toward the door, he said, "Just don't hurt her."

"I love her," Quinn said, putting her hand on the doorknob. "I wouldn't hurt her."

He sighed. "I just want her to be happy."

"She is happy," Quinn responded before turning the knob and walking into the backyard.

Without looking back, she walked across the yard to Rachel, where she had put a blanket on the ground. Everyone else was scattered around the yard, but Rachel picked a fairly secluded spot, saying they would be able to see better there. Quinn didn't know if that was true, but she wasn't going to argue; she hadn't been alone with Rachel all day, so it would be nice to be able to watch the fireworks without having to worry about anyone else.

"What took you so long?" Rachel asked.

"Finn," Quinn replied, handing Rachel one of the bottles of water as she sat down.

"Oh no," Rachel said, frowning. "What did he say?"

"It's not important," Quinn said, leaning over, and giving Rachel a kiss on her cheek.

"Are you sure?" Rachel asked.

Quinn nodded. "I'm sure."

Rachel sighed and leaned back on the blanket. "I'm sorry you haven't had the best day. I'm starting to think leaving New York was a bad idea."

"It's not your fault," Quinn said, lying back as well. "And I don't regret coming. Finn was going to find out sooner or later, so I'm actually glad it's over with, and this morning definitely wasn't your fault. That could have happened in New York just as easily as it did here." Quinn laid down and looked to the side, gazing into Rachel's eyes. "And the day might not have been perfect, but I can't think of a better way to end it."

"Me either," Rachel agreed. "Though I do believe the fireworks show in New York would have been slightly more impressive."

"Probably," Quinn replied with a light laugh. "One of these years we'll have to stay there and see it. Maybe we can see the ball drop, too."

"That would be wonderful," Rachel said, smiling. "We have plenty of time to do everything, though. I do plan on living in the city for quite a while, and I plan on us being together even longer."

"Are you sure about that?" Quinn asked, trying to contain her smile.

"Positive," Rachel replied. "You're stuck with me, Fabray."

"I can't think of anyone better to be stuck with," Quinn commented, leaning over, and bringing their lips together.

When Quinn pulled away, Rachel smiled and scooted closer to her so their shoulders were touching. The fireworks were beginning to pick up, lighting the sky up with a rainbow of colors. Their view was a little obscured by some trees, but Quinn had no intention of moving. She was far too happy where she was.

* * *

**Considering there are very few holidays left between now and Halloween, the next chapter, Labor Day, might be the last. I'll see you all then.**


End file.
